Nothing Else Matters
by griff-chan
Summary: After being back on Mars for a year, Modo goes looking for someone he left behind and finds a bit more than he had expected. ModoxOC, VinniexCharley, ThrottlexCarbine. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Copper has been yelling at me to tell her story. Please review, but no flames.

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Red Martian sand swirled around the mice taking in the rare outdoor market, covering everyone in a fine layer of dust. Coming out of a disused alleyway and ignored by most of the citizens, Modo of the Biker Mice peered down the street, checked his map again, and began walking, his map held in front of him. With his tall build a few curious eyes settled on him, only to glance away when they saw his metal arm. Modo was used to the treatment, having received the same look everywhere he had gone since returning to Mars almost a year ago.

After defeating Limburger and sending him back to Plutark, Modo and his comrades Vinnie and Throttle had returned to their home planet after being away for four years. A year of being coddled by his Mama and recuperating with his bros was fun and all, but Modo had started to get itchy feet and an itchy mind. So after saying goodbye to his family and his bros, he had taken Li'l Hoss on a ride across Mars, stopping at the smaller settlements and asking for a female that may have passed through a few years ago. A few had heard of a female with a missing ear and a bike the color of ash but most of the country folk had hurried Modo away as fast as possible, slightly wary of an ex-Freedom fighter with a Plutarkian robot arm.

Then Modo had started on the few cities left on Mars. After having no luck in Fender City or in Brimstone, Modo had come to the city of Redrock. Hiding Li'l Hoss in an abandoned warehouse, Modo had taken to the streets. Trying to ride around Redrock was even more difficult than going around an Earth city; after being torn down and rebuilt a few times during the invasion, Redrock was a hodgepodge of building styles with some narrow streets that a motorcycle couldn't pass through.

A helpful citizen had given Modo the map and told him about a one-eared female who ran a biker bar near the city's edge. Having already managed to get turned around twice, Modo was a little cranky when he finally found the bar at the very edge of town surrounded by half-dilapidated buildings. A neon sign flicked over the building, spelling out The Silver Star in green and blue letters and a child played with a set of dolls in the dust in the shade in front of the bar. Since it was mid-afternoon, the bar was empty with only one bike parked in the very front. Modo felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the bike; it was pale grey, like ash, and built low to the ground for speed. He would recognize that bike anywhere in the universe and knew he had found what he was looking for.

Taking a deep breath, Modo walked up to the swinging door of the bar, opening it with a slight push. The interior of the bar was less shabby than the outside and bore the marks of several bar fights. Earth rock played softly from speakers set into the ceiling as a lone female pushed a broom around the floor, humming softly along with the song. Modo's heart stopped as he looked at her, his eyes drinking in the form he hadn't seen in five years.

Copper's burgundy hair had grown, the braid she still wore it in now down to her hips instead of her waist. Her red fur gleamed in the light coming in from the small windows, her single ear twitching along in time to the beat of the music. She wore a plain white shirt with the sleeves torn off, faded denim pants and black leather shitkickers that added two inches to her height. She had put on some curves since Modo had last seen her, her breasts fuller and her waist a little wider than he remembered. He didn't mind at all since the curves made her even more attractive.

He must have made a noise because she stiffened and turned around, her broom held out like she was ready to use it to defend herself. Copper inhaled sharply when she saw Modo, her dark brown eyes widening in shock. Her jaw dropped and she put down the broom before walking over to him. Modo stopped breathing when she came within a foot of him, looking up at him with those big brown eyes. Her face was exactly as he remembered it: her slightly upturned nose, her left ear short and ragged, her right ear with two gold hoops set into it, her soft round cheeks and her upper teeth that shone white against the soft fur of her muzzle. With her lips parted in surprise like that and her head tilted up he could almost-

WHAM!

A punch landed right on Modo's nose, snapping him out of his reverie. He was thrown back a few feet and knocked over a chair, landing himself right on his sorry tail. Completely shocked, Modo looked up at the pissed off female in front of him. "Copper, what the hell-?"

"Owwwww…Oh fuck _me_," she cursed, shaking out the hand she had punched him with. "You're actually here!"

Modo blinked in surprise then chuckled. She still had that bad mouth on her. "Well yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn't I actually be-"

WHAM!!

A second punch landed on his jaw, making Modo see stars. Now flat on his back, he stared up at the ceiling to wait for his head to clear. Copper came into his field of vision, hovering over him and still looking beyond pissed.

"You BASTARD," she hissed between clenched teeth. She started rubbing her hand again, ignoring the small busts of pain that were currently shooting through her bones. "The HELL do you think you're doing in my place?!"

"Thought I'd stop by and see how you're doing," he mumbled, absently rubbing his sore jaw. "Oh, mama…Nice to see you haven't lost your touch."

"Bite me, asshole," she snapped. "You've been gone five years and you thought, what, you could just waltz in here and everything would be sunshine and flowers? Well fuck you, you giant bloody RAT."

Modo's eye flashed red and he sat up with a start, almost knocking heads with Copper. "Rat?!"

"Yes, rat!" she spat. "You left, Modo. You said you loved me and you still left. What else would you be?"

"I didn't have a choice," he growled. "You know I didn't." Even though he was growling, his ears back and his eye flashing red, Copper didn't budge. All other females (except for his mother and sister) and most males would have been cowering in a corner at making Modo angry, but Copper had never backed down from him in a temper. It was one of the things about her that had made her attractive to Modo in the first place. Even her own temper had been attractive to Modo. But Copper had never shown her temper unless she had a good reason; it just wasn't like her to up and deck a male just for showing up at her door, even if he had left her. Modo's eye stopped flashing as he calmed down, slowly standing up and moving towards Copper. She growled at him but didn't move, refusing to back away. "I didn't have a choice and you knew that," he repeated. "Why are you so angry with me for doing my duty? Did something happen to you, Copper?"

"Life happened," she said. "I'm not the female you used to know, Modo. A lot's changed me."

"I doubt that. You're still one of the few who will stand their ground against me." Modo reached out his hand, brushing his metal fingers against her cheek. "What happened to you, babe?"

"Life happened," she repeated, tilting her face into his touch. "Modo-"

"Mama!" The door banged open and a small grey blur rushed past Modo, attaching itself to Copper's leg. A small female, no more than four or five years old, tugged on Copper's pants, giggling and talking too quickly for Modo to understand. He recognized her as the kid who had been playing out front when he arrived. Copper smiled and nodded at the right points in the girls' speech, brushing burgundy bangs back from the little one's face.

"Silver sweetie, slow down. Is Uncle Alloy here?"

"Nope," the little one giggled, affectionately rubbing her face against Copper's thigh. "Come out and play with me, Mama! Li'l Sidewinder is about to kick the tail of the Plutarkian commander and she needs reinforcements!"

"Mama has to get ready for work, Silver sweetie." Copper smiled and gently stroked Silver's ears. "But we'll play tomorrow when I get home, ok?"

"Ok," the little one chirped. giggling again as Copper rubbed her ears. One of the small grey appendages twitched back and she turned her head, finally noticing Modo. Her round baby face broke into a friendly smile at Modo and she asked, "Who's that, Mama?" Modo was absolutely shocked when he saw her eyes: unlike Copper's deep brown, they were bright garnet red. Her eyes were the exact same shade of red as his, as was the deep grey of the girl's fur.

Copper swallowed and picked up her daughter, perching the little girl on her hip. She looked straight at Modo who just stood there with his shocked expression. Normally she would have found the expression amusing, but she knew exactly how he felt. "Silver sweetie, this is Modo Maverick. He's an old friend of Mama's." She quirked an odd smile at Modo, absently petting the soft fur of her daughter's arm. "Like I said: life happened."

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He had a daughter. He, Modo Maverick, had a little girl. The thought, never mind the reality of it, was enough to send Modo into stunned silence. While he loved kids (hell, his mama had been pestering him for more grandchildren for years) and had planned on them in his future, he hadn't anticipated having them so soon. Or so unexpectedly.

After sending Silver to the room upstairs to play until her uncle got back, Copper led a still shocked Modo to the bar. Sitting him down then pouring both of them a drink, she settled herself on the stool next to him, taking hers down in small sips. Modo was not so kind and pounded the shot back, gasping as the liquor burned down his throat. "What the hell is this stuff?!"

"Jupiter azh grog. I've heard it tastes like stronger Earth vodka."

"That sounds about right," Modo gasped. He could already feel the stuff burning a hole in his stomach. Dry-swallowing a few times to try and rid his mouth of the taste, he turned in his seat to look at Copper. "How old is Silver?"

"Like you have to ask," Copper drawled, still sipping on her drink between sentences and refusing to look at him. "How are Vinnie and Throttle?"

"We're not talking about them right now," he growled, exasperated at her attempt to evade the question. "Is she really mine?"

"Not like I was fucking anyone else at the time," she said, finishing off her drink. "But you've already been back a year, why do you care now?"

Modo started back from her in surprise. "How did you know-?"

"Carbine. She's at least nice enough to keep me updated on where you are, how you are, if you're dead yet. You know, basic things you would normally tell people you care about."

Modo cringed, his ears flattening against her stinging words. "Copper…"

"Why did you come looking for me?" she asked, pouring herself another shot. "Why now, anyway? It's been five years and I haven't heard anything from you since that last night."

"I couldn't contact anyone," he protested. "We were stuck on Earth with no way to get back for four years."

"Yet here you are now after being back on the planet for a whole fucking year." She finished off her second shot, muttering some choice curses under her breath about males who didn't give a damn about anything.

"I hope you don't swear that way in front of our kid," he muttered, taking the bottle from her and taking a swig. Even though he usually didn't drink, at this point Modo thought it wouldn't hurt the situation. Even if the stuff burned like a blaster shot to the gut.

"MY kid," she growled. "You haven't been around, you have no claim on Silver."

Modo growled at her, glaring out of the corner of his eye. "If she's my kid-"

"IF? Seriously, you really need confirmation when she looks almost exactly like you?" Copper chuckled despite herself. "Goddess, Modo, you really can't be that dense."

He growled at her again, starting to get annoyed at her attitude. His normally even temper was fraying under her constant belittlement. "OUR kid," he reemphasized. "Nothing could have kept me from you both is I had known. Damnation, Copper, why didn't you tell me?"

Copper finally turned and met his eyes. Modo felt this was definitely a day for surprises: Copper had tears in her eyes. He could count on one hand the number of times he had seen Copper cry, and all of those times had been rather emotional for both of them.

"Mars needed you to fight for her," she said, her voice even despite the tears in her eyes. "We're both soldiers, Modo. I thought we both knew that the wants of the individual came after the needs of the whole." She swallowed back a sob and looked away from Modo, her voice dropping nearly to a whisper but not breaking. "I was wrong, and I've accepted that. I've moved on, made a life for myself and Silver." Standing up and taking Modo's glass and the bottle, Copper put them both behind the bar and walked towards the back. Pausing a moment, she turned toward him again, her arms crossed over her chest. She looked vulnerable and sad in that one moment and all her wanted was to hold her in his arms and comfort her.

"I'm sorry I hit you, Modo," she said. "And I'm sorry I yelled. It's been a hard couple of years for all of us and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I don't expect anything from you, for me or our daughter. I made my decision to let you go and I'm prepared to live with that. We can talk more later but now I need to get ready for work." Opening the door that hid the stairs from view, she headed up, closing and locking the door behind her, leaving Modo in the empty bar.


	2. Chapter 2

Again, please review. I haven't been writing for awhile and any useful comments would be appreciated. Flames will be ignored.

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"Oh, fuck me," Copper whispered as she went up the stairs, finally letting some tears fall down her cheeks. At the top landing, glanced in the small bedroom to check on Silver. The little girl was sitting on the floor, singing softly to herself as she drew a picture. Copper smiled sadly and went into the bathroom one door over from the bedroom. After making use of the toilet, she stood at the mirror over the sink, taking a long look at her reflection. Her eyes were a little red from crying and her antenna and ear were drooping but it was nothing she wasn't already used to covering up with smiles and fake cheerfulness when she went to work sad form thinking about her lost love. "Fuck ME," she cursed again. Why couldn't she be strong? Why couldn't she just fucking let him go already?

Seeing Modo again was…a shock, to say the least. Even though he was rarely far from her thoughts, Copper had never expected to see her giant again. He hadn't changed much in five years. Sure, he had a few more scars, but they added to his charm. He was still very much in shape, his arms and chest a temptation Copper could hardly resist. She growled and punched the wall beside the mirror, glaring at herself. Who was she fooling? Even though part of her was still mad at him and at herself, she'd been crazy about him for almost seven years. She couldn't let him go at all.

When she and her brother had joined the Martian resistance at seventeen, Modo had already been a decorated fighter, one of the great warriors their race had along with his bros. While most of the females swarmed to Vinnie or Throttle, Copper had always found Modo's quiet compassion more appealing. He knew how to have fun and he could outfight anybody, but he was more kindhearted than any other male she had ever met. She had seen him laughing and playing with children, had treated every female with respect and courtesy and he never left any mouse behind, even when he could have died trying to save them. After watching him for more a year, they had officially met when he and his bros rescued her from sand raiders.

Copper had discovered her skill for being a sniper almost as soon as she had entered the resistance. Putting her talents to use, she watched the backs of other fighters when they went into battle with Plutarkians, rats, or sand raiders. Her precise shots had saved lives and she took quiet pride in that fact, secretly hoping one day Modo would notice. But one day she got cocky and didn't take as much time to set up her blind, leaving herself less protected. A small group of sand raiders had taken note of where her shots came from and had snuck up behind her, grabbing her and tying her up before she had a chance to fight back. Planning to sell her and a few other captives as slaves off world, the Biker Mice had found them just as night had fallen and the sand raiders were drunk off their success and the barrel of blood whiskey they had stolen from their chief. Fighting off the raiders, the bros had saved Copper and her companions. Modo himself had untied her and taken her behind him on his bike. She had thanked him and clung to them as they rode across the silent wastes of Mars, shivering both from the chill of the night and the feel of his warm back against her breasts and his strong abs beneath her hands.

After that night, Copper and Modo had started hanging out together, taking long rides over the wastes on their bikes and laughing over root beers with other resistance members. They had talked seriously too, about when the war would end and fighting strategies. Modo had taught her some hand-to-hand moves so she could better protect herself and they had sparred on occasion. The sparring sessions had led to Copper getting stronger and stronger feelings for the giant male: even though he could have easily overpowered her at any moment, he held back just enough so she would learn and never touched her inappropriately. Not that she would have minded inappropriate touches from him.

She had broken down and kissed him the night before the battle at Brimstone. They had been sparring and he had pinned her down on the floor. His face inches from hers, he had smiled and asked her if she had given up. She had smiled back, said no, then lifted her head and kissed him. Modo hadn't responded at first, and then he had groaned and kissed her back, his tongue gently brushing over her front teeth. Soon they were full on making out, their shirts thrown off and Modo's hand rubbing her back under her bra. Copper had been moaning under him, her hands tracing his strong back and sides.

A cough had them breaking apart like scared adolescents; one of the mechanics had come looking for Copper to tell her that her bike was finished being repaired. Blushing hard under her fur, Copper had thanked the male and wiggled out from under Modo, grabbing her shirt and pulling it over her head. Modo had done the same, a self-satisfied smirk curving his lips. Copper had glared at him but then he kissed her again and she had smiled back. Leaving the training room, they talked and kissed for hours in his room. Copper confessed about the feelings she had had on him and was delighted when Modo admitted he felt the same. They had drifted off together after that, Copper getting the best rest of her life with Modo's strong arms holding her close.

Early the next morning, loud banging on the door had woken them up. Throttle had come in before he had gotten an affirmative to enter, quirking a brow at Modo when he saw Copper in bed with his friend. Smirking, he told them both to saddle up; something big was going down in Brimstone. Kissing Modo again, Copper had rushed back to her room, blushing at the sound of the congratulations Throttle was giving Modo for 'finally getting the girl.' Dressing quickly, Copper met up with her brother Alloy in the bike hangar. Modo was just leaving with Vinnie and Throttle, but he smiled and waved at her as he and his bros roared out the hanger. Alloy had smirked at her and made a lewd comment. Copper had punched her twin hard enough to leave a bruise on his red pelt. Smirking at Alloy's pained cursing, she had revved her bike to life and joined the rest of her squad, Alloy close behind and still complaining.

By the time they reached Brimstone the rebels were getting pounded by Plutarkian blasters. Copper, not having time to set up her sniper rifle, had jumped into the fight with gusto. With Alloy watching her back, the twins took out two walkers and a sand raider platoon. Copper kept an eye out of Modo the whole time, grinning when she saw him take down the enemy while laughing with his bros. He looked so handsome on his bike, his strong body flexing every which way as he took down more and more enemies with his bros.

Then he had ridden over that mine and her heart had stopped in her chest. The bros went flying, Modo landing a few feet away from the blast with his arm at an odd angle. Even though she was a dozen yards away, Copper had stopped what she was doing and rode full tilt towards Modo, calling his name and not hearing Alloy scream for her to stop. Her hair streamed out behind her, her braid having come undone and her helmet blown off, hit by a stray blaster shot. Her brother managed to get in front of her and he had taken the brunt of the blast from the mine she had almost ridden over. The left side of her head had burned like fire as she passed out, still screaming for Modo as her bloodied brother held her back.

She had woken up a few days later in the makeshift medical facility the rebellion had set up after being betrayed from within by Mace. The left side of her head was wrapped in bandages and she felt like someone had taken a hammer to her brain. Alloy was on the bed next to hers with bandages on his arm and tail; protecting her from the blast had cost him some of the fingers on his hand, half of his tail and he had broken some ribs. After examining her brother's injuries, Copper moved slowly out of bed to find a mirror and assess the damage she had taken. After finding a mirror, Copper had gasped and almost burst into tears when she saw what the mine's shrapnel had done to her: her left ear was mostly gone. All that was left was a ragged flap of skin. It wasn't until later she found that the blast had also damaged her hearing.

Modo had found her a few hours after she woke up. It was night and Copper was staring up at the blackness in the ceiling, planning an escape from the medics who had insisted she wasn't strong enough to go anywhere, let alone look for Modo. She had almost missed the sound of the door opening but the flash of light from the hallway had caught her eye. Modo had slipped in and was going from bed to bed, peering at each person in the darkness. She had tried getting out of bed to go to him but failed, falling back against the bedframe with a loud thunk. Modo had rushed over and grabbed her in his arms, careful of the bandages on her head as he nuzzled her hair. She had broken down then and cried, hiding her face in the crook of his neck and shoulder. Modo had just held her, gently petting her hair and murmuring nonsense to her. Picking her up in his arms like a child, he took them both to his room, laying them both down and holding Copper as she continued to cry.

After what felt like an ocean had escaped her eyes, Copper had pulled away to get a look at Modo in the light of the moons coming from his quarter's window. Her breath had caught in her throat when she saw the patch that now covered his left eye. Copper's eyes had widened when she saw the gleaming metal where his right arm used to be. She reached out to touch him and he flinched back, now aware of what she was looking at. Determined, she reached out again and grabbed his metal hand, tracing her fingers over the fingers that were slightly colder than the rest of him. She ran her hands over the entire arm, learning that the place where it attached to his shoulder was sensitive to her touch. Modo had let her touch him, groaning softly when her thumb traced over his cheek under his new eye patch. She gently kissed his face and neck, anywhere her lips could reach as they lay facing each other on their sides. "Oh, my brave man," she had whispered, nuzzling his ear. "My brave, sweet man." She let him know his metal arm didn't frighten her, delicately licking the tips of the metal fingers even though he couldn't feel it. Some tears had escaped and he clung to her, grateful that she wouldn't reject him even though he was now a freak. He fell asleep with his head pillowed against her breasts and his arms around her waist, Copper gently stroking the fine fur on his scalp before nodding off herself.

They were almost inseparable after that. Modo went with her when she visited Alloy, she went for rides with him and his bros, and they continued to spar with interesting results: Copper always seemed to be half naked by the time they were done fighting, even though Modo held back even more because he was still nervous about his mechanical arm hurting her. It had been almost a month since his arm was taken and he wasn't used to the strength of the thing yet. It had taken a lot of convincing that she wasn't scared of his arm and trusted him not to hurt her. When Alloy was able to walk around again he confronted Modo about his intentions with Copper. She never knew exactly how the conversation went but both males seemed satisfied with what they had talked about.

Their first time making love had been one of the happiest moments in Copper's life. While it wasn't her first time, Modo's sheer size was enough to make her nervous. He had taken his time with her, using his fingers and tongue to prepare her for his length, his teeth nibbling and his tail caressing the sensitive skin on the inside of her thighs. She hadn't been able to do anything but writhe against him, the pleasure getting so intense she had sworn enough to make Modo blush and begged him to take her. He had, so slowly and reverently she hardly felt any pain at being filed by his huge erection. When he was fully encased in her tightness he hadn't moved for several moments, panting softly as he tried to control himself and keep from pounding into her. She ran her hands along his back, her nails pricking his rear and making him groan. He pulled out a little then pushed back into her, repeating the action until she was practically screaming his name. Wanting her to reach the edge before he did, he shifted slightly so he brushed against the sensitive place at the front of her passage every time he thrust into her while his tail flicked against her clit. Copper came so hard she nearly passed out, dragging Modo with her into pleasurable oblivion. However, her happiness wasn't going to last.

About seven months after Brimstone, Modo and his bros were ordered out into space to fight the Plutarkians there. She thought she had been prepared to let him go and fight for their planet, thinking he would return soon and then she would tell him about the life she could feel growing in her. But then rumors had circulated that their ship had been gunned down and they had been stranded on Earth. Copper, her belly starting to show signs of carrying Modo's child, left the resistance to move to one of the settlements hidden in the mountains. Despite Copper insisting he stay to help the cause, Alloy had come as well, taking up odd jobs to help support his sister.

Silver had been born in the tiny house they resided in and the first three years of the child's life had been lived in relative quiet. Then the war had ended and the twins had decided to go back to their home city of Redrock to reopen their father's bar as a more permanent way to support themselves and Silver. They had spent two months fixing up the place and had rechristened it the Silver Star after the loving toddler who drove her mother crazy with her constant antics. Silver was Modo's daughter through and through: compassionate and loving, but with a punch that sent the neighborhood boys flying when they started playing rough.

Modo's daughter. Copper had started to resent her lover when Silver was born and he still hadn't contacted her or found a way back to them. Figuring he had forgotten her, Copper tried to cut him out of her heart to try and ease some of the pain she felt whenever she thought about him, which despite her best efforts to do otherwise was often. When Carbine had contacted her with the news that Modo was back on the planet, Copper had allowed herself to hope that he would find her and maybe...She wasn't sure where the maybe led to, but after he had been on the planet for a few months and no word had come, she had given up again. He had forgotten all about her...

Breaking out of her memories, Copper quickly unbraided her hair, letting it hang loose past her hips in burgundy waves. Changing into a black leather corset and pants, she smudged on some dark eyeshadow that made her eyes look deeper and mysterious. The look was completed with her gold armband and black fingerless gloves that had knuckles reinforced with steel studs. Praying her brother had arrived from wherever it was he had gotten to, she went into the bedroom to get Silver. The little girl smiled when her mother entered the room, rushing up and hugging her around the thighs. "Mama, you look pretty!"

"Thank you, Silver sweetie," Copper smiled and gently tweaked her daughter's ear, her hearth warming at the sight of Silver's smile. No matter how bad things had been, Silver was the one thing that kept Copper going. She loved that girl more than life and would do anything to keep that smile on her daughter's face. "Ready to go home for dinner? Uncle Alloy should be here to pick you up by now."

"But I want to stay with you!" Silver whined, her ears folding back against her head as she looked up at her mother with sad eyes. Copper ignored the eyes and gently flicked Silver's ear.

"It's Mama's turn to work tonight, Silver sweetie. I'll be home all day tomorrow and we can play with Li'l Sidewinder as much as you want, ok?"

Silver frowned and took a deep breath, ready to start throwing a tantrum. Copper gave her daughter the Look that said not to mess with Mama's decision and the little girl sighed, already knowing she wouldn't win this time. "Ok Mama."

"There's my bad babe," Copper said, kneeling down and hugging Silver tightly. "Now come on, let's go see if Uncle Alloy's back." And if Modo had left again, she added silently to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

I know I'm not being very nice to Modo. Don't hate me! Copper's making me do it!

As always, reviews are welcome. And I do not own the Biker Mice or the idea. I'm just borrowing it until Copper stops banging at the inside of my skull with a hammer.

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Modo had stared at Copper, almost springing up to go after her. But then the lock had slid home and he figured there would be no point unless he wanted to break down the door. It would not have been difficult but it certainly wouldn't endear him to the pissed-off mother of his child. Growling softly to himself, he reached behind the bar and to grab the bottle of grog Copper had left. Taking another swig, he leaned his elbows against the bar, resting his chin in his palm as he stared off into space and thought about what to do next.

Copper's burst of temper still bothered him. Five years ago, she had encouraged him to go fight in space, saying the race needed him more than she did. But they had figured on him only being away for a few months at the most. They had never counted on being apart for five years. Maybe he should have come looking for her sooner instead of waiting a year, but he had been scared. He really wasn't the luckiest guy when it came to love, what if Copper had found someone else? He didn't think he could have handled that.

Copper had caught his eye almost as soon as she had entered the resistance. She was a beautiful spitfire with skill behind a sniper rifle. Watching her covertly, he had once seen her shoot a desert spider off of a rock from a thousand yards away. Throttle and Vinnie had noticed his interest almost right away and never let him hear the end of it: Modo the Monk was crushing on a young bit of a woman with a foul mouth? They had laughed until Modo had set them straight (Vinnie swore his left buttcheek had never been quite the same).

It wasn't that Modo didn't like females; he liked them just as much as the next bro. But his size made most females nervous, thinking his height made him a bruiser with a bad temper. His intense red eyes were also known to frighten females. Some had warmed up to him but they were few and far between: to this day Modo could count his number of sexual partners on both hands. Throttle at least had to use his toes and Vinnie had to borrow the fingers _and_ toes of the person closest to him. He was used to his bros getting all of the attention from females and even got some chuckles when they got into scrapes because or for said females. Modo was always looking for something more permanent; after seeing the way his father treated his mama, he wanted something just like the sweet passion his parents had shared until his father was killed by rats in a turf dispute. Even now, almost twenty years later, his mama would have no other male and swore no other would ever match up to Modo's father.

Modo thought he had found that kind of love once or twice before he met Copper. But something had always driven the females away or they weren't what they seemed to be. Yana Glassgreen was the one that stood out the most in his mind. After courting her for months, she had left him to be with a shorter, more attractive male. The memories of her taunts about his looks as she stood with her new lover still made Modo flush red with anger. He hadn't spoken to a female for almost a month after that, his temper always worn thin. Even his bros had been scared of him for a while. Then Copper and her brother had entered the resistance and he was thrown headfirst back into the game.

He had first seen her a few weeks after she had officially entered the resistance. He had been walking to his quarters to try and get some sleep (and get away from Vinnie's motor mouth) when he walked by one of the common areas the younger fighters shared. Copper had been there, surrounded by young males who were trying to impress her with their pick up lines. Copper had looked amused for about half a second before one of the stupider males had put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close and touching his antenna to hers with a lascivious grin on his face. Copper's eyes had widened at the thoughts the male must have sent to her and she looked up at him with a small smile. The male, thinking he had triumphed, leaned in for a kiss just as Copper kneed him hard in the balls. Going down like a ton of bricks, the male had started crying like a baby while his friends looked at Copper in shock. Smiling sweetly, she told the group that if anyone were to try that with her again without express permission their goddess-damned balls would hang as trophies from her bike's bitch seat for all the fucking universe to see. If they could, since none of them had balls big enough to see anyway.

Modo had had to choke back his laughter by biting into his wrist, not wanting any of the young ones to be embarrassed in front of a commanding officer. Taking a closer look at the younger female, his heart had fluttered in his chest. She wore her hair in a complicated braid that went from the crown of her head down to her waist and gold highlights had gleamed against the dark burgundy of her tresses. Her fur was a red a few shades lighter than her hair and she had the biggest brown eyes Modo had ever seen. Her muzzle was short with a slightly upturned nose that gave her an impertinent air, her ears perfect with two gold hoops set into both ears. She had a lithe body with just enough curves to identify her as female with slim hips, a flat stomach and a pair of breasts that were perfect for her build. Her musculature had been impressive for a female that young and Modo could see she wasn't something to be messed with. Especially since the male she had put on the floor spoke with a slightly higher pitch ever afterwards.

After making some discreet inquiries (he still had no idea how Vinnie had found out), Modo found out her name was Copper Van Speed and that she had a twin brother named Alloy. They were orphaned at an early age; their mother had died in childbirth and sand raiders had killed their father. They were a little young, only seventeen, but they had been discovered fighting off rats in defense of the elder who had been caring for them since their father's death. Both twins were skilled, especially Copper, but untrained in any form of fighting. Alloy turned out to be a fair wrench jockey and hand-to-hand fighter while Copper was one of the best snipers they had found.

Instead of just going up and introducing himself like Vinnie kept insisting, Modo waited for the right moment to present himself. He told his bros it was because he wanted to know more about her before just introducing himself but the truth was he was scared as hell. Even since Yana had broken his heart he had been even more cautious with females, not even going to them to relieve his physical needs. So he bided his time, watching Copper secretly as he waited for the right moment to introduce himself.

He was grateful when the universe presented him with the right moment, even if the moment was a year later than he would have liked. After a skirmish with the dogs, Modo found out Copper had been taken prisoner by sand raiders. Without a word he roared towards her last known location, Throttle and Vinnie following and trying to hide their smirks. The sand raiders, being the stupid mongrels they were, left tracks any baby could follow from where they had taken Copper to their camp up in the mountains. Modo had gunned for the camp, driving a lot more recklessly than he usually would. Even Vinnie had had trouble keeping up with him. When he found the camp, the raiders were already half-drunk on blood whiskey. He had them all knocked out and stacked in a neat pile by the time his bros got to the camp. Modo found Copper with three other captives and almost got his ears singed off from her language when he removed the gag the raiders had put on her to stop her swearing. Untying her, he left the other captives to Throttle and Vinnie. Sitting Copper behind him on his bike (her own had been taken back to base already), he had gunned down the mountain again, his heart beating fast at the nearness of her. The memory of her breasts pressed into his back was sweet and dear to him. When they got back to the base, she had quietly thanked him and hugged him. Modo was shocked and couldn't move, could only think about the feel of her pressed against him. The top of her head came up just above his collarbone, just the right height for him to rest his chin and nuzzle her antennae. But he just couldn't MOVE. Copper had thanked him again then released him, heading towards the bike hanger to check her ride. In a spurt of rare impulsiveness, Modo had asked her if she wanted him to teach her some hand-fighting moves so she could protect herself better. She had smiled shyly at him over her shoulder, her brown eyes warm and inviting when she said yes.

Those sparring sessions were both the best and worst idea of Modo's life. While they got him close to Copper and gave him the chance to get to know her they also meant he was pressing against her, holding her intimately as he taught her to fight. He barely left each session with his dignity intact. He couldn't help it, he got so hard around her and it was getting more and more difficult not to start rubbing against her every chance he got to try and relieve the ache a little. Even when they were just hanging out, taking their bikes for a spin on the wastes, he was hard for her.

He held out almost six months. Thinking he was starting to go insane, he was a little more forceful in his sparring than usual and pinned Copper to the ground. Giddy from having her under him and vulnerable, he had smirked and asked if she gave up. She had smirked back, said no, and kissed him full on the lips. Modo was shocked; after not feeling a woman's touch for a year and a half, it took his brain a second to comprehend what was going on. Then her tongue had licked his lower lip and he had groaned and kissed her back. Next thing he knew their shirts were off and she was rubbing against him, groaning softly, and he was rubbing back, his cock ready to burst from his jeans.

He would have taken her there on the floor but a mechanic had interrupted. So he had taken her to his quarters to snuggle and make out on his bed. He had blushingly admitted that he had been watching her and developed feelings for her and was ecstatic when she admitted she like him to. She had fallen asleep in his arms and he had just watched her breathe for a few hours, gently stroking the soft fur on her ears. Modo got the best rest of his life that night. His awakening by Throttle was not as nice, but after a great night's rest in his girl's arms he was ready for battle again. Then Brimstone had happened and things went straight to hell.

Modo didn't remember much of being held captive. Mostly flashes of pain when the mine went off and Karbunkle's ugly face hovering over him with a syringe. He remembered hoping Copper was safe and unhurt. Those few days of being captured and then saving Mars from the Tug Transformer were mostly a blur to Modo. He had been sedated but had to keep shaking it off since Vinnie and Throttle were even loopier than he was. His missing eye he could live with but his arm scared him to death. He had been imposing before, what would this arm do to his relationship with Copper?

After making it back to the resistance, Modo had staggered into the med ward. The darkness and lack of depth perception made it hard for him to find Copper, but then she had tried to come to him. He had taken her from the ward and, shaken by the bandages covering the side of her head, had taken them to his room where he knew they would be safe. He held her while she cried, examining her for other wounds. Apparently her brother had protected her from a mine blast and was the worst hurt while Copper had just lost her ear. Almost crying himself because she was safe, he forgot about his arm and just held her until she stopped crying. Then she had noticed his arm and his heart stopped in his chest. He shied away from her touch, scared she would taunt him for the missing limb. Instead she had taken his metal hand and kissed it, praising him for being brave. Grateful that she hadn't shunned him he had clung to her and, for the second time in his adult life, he cried.

Modo was the happiest he had ever been in his life. He had his bros, he had his girl, and he had Plutarkian tail to thrash. Copper got along well with Throttle and Vinnie, joking with them and helping put Vinnie in his place when he needed it. Modo was especially pleased when she ignored Vinnie's flirtations completely, instead keeping her eyes only on him. She was a passionate lover with stamina that matches his years-denied libido, and there were days where neither left the bed except to use the bathroom and eat.

When he was sent to space, he had expected to be gone for a few months. When he got back, he had intended on spending more time with Copper and, if things kept going as well as they were, he was going to ask her to marry him. He knew she would stick by him through the fighting and the injuries and when the war was over he could see himself setting down with her and having a few kids. So he had said goodbye and went off with his bros.

Five years later, here he was sitting in an empty bar, drinking and reminiscing about the past while the female he was in love with was upstairs with an unexpected daughter. While he hadn't gotten a very close look at Silver, he did see that she was a sweet little thing with an open personality. And his eyes. He was hooked on that little girl's eyes, even though he had only seen her for a few minutes. He just hoped to the goddess that Copper wasn't swearing in front of their daughter. Swearing was for big girls and Silver was way to young to be-

Wait, did he just admit to himself that he was in love with Copper? "Oh, mama," he groaned, rubbing his forehead. Damn alcohol was making his brain loose. This complicated things more. They had never said the 'L' word out loud and the only evidence Modo had of her feelings for him was on that little slip of paper he still kept in his chest plate. He had tried keeping thoughts of love out of his head while he was stranded on Earth, but they had festered and grown into a giant love monster that he was only realized existed now that he could actually see Copper again. Thinking about it when they were apart had been too painful; what if he never made it back? What if she had another male in her life? Modo didn't think he would be able to handle that again. Better to just not think about it until the right moment came up.

_Well, here's the right moment_, he thought, finishing off the bottle of grog. _Time to man up and do the right thing by my woman_. Standing up shakily (Oh, Mama, that stuff was strong), he started towards the door he had seen Copper disappear into, intending to search her out and sit down for a long talk, only to be stopped by a solid body standing in his way. Knocked off center, Modo bounced back a little bit and glared at the person standing in his way.

Alloy Van Speed grinned cheerfully at the taller mouse, his chipped front teeth very white against the red fur of his muzzle. "Hey, Modo, long time no see." Then, still smiling, Alloy cocked back his arm and decked Modo on the jaw.

_Oh, mama,_ Modo internally groaned. _Not again_.


	4. Chapter 4

I had problems with this chapter. It didn't want to come out easy, and it's a little short :-( But that's ok! We keep moving forward!

Fun fact: Alloy is based on my friend, who is seriously the most laid-back guy I know. Nothing bothers him, he's very zen, but mess with his family and he will take you down with a smile on his face. Silver is based on my cousin. She is such a friendly and open kid who wants to be friends with absolutely EVERYONE. It's adorable but annoying sometimes.

And please review if you haven't yet and thank you to those who have! Reviewing makes me feel warm inside and want to write more ;-)

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Modo growled at Alloy, rubbing his increasingly sore jaw. "Yeah, long time no see. Apparently not long enough though."

Alloy laughed and reached out his hand, his normal friendly smile back on his face instead of the maniacal one that had been on his features seconds ago. Modo eyed the hand warily before taking it and shaking firmly, careful not to crush Alloy's hand in his metal one.

Alloy was one of the most laid-back mice Modo had ever met. Where his sister was prickly and combative, Alloy was more peaceable and always had a smile on his face. Nothing ever got the male down, not even the loss of some of his fingers and part of his tail from protecting his sister from a mine blast. Alloy's fur was the same red as Copper's but the hair on his head was midnight black and hung in a perfectly straight, thick curtain to his waist. Modo had heard females in the Resistance coo over Alloy's hair, some of their comments about what they would do with said hair making Modo blush. A few inches taller than his sister, the male had bulked up in five years, now having the same build as Throttle but retaining the same carefree, friendly air he had had years ago.

He also had a fierce protective streak when it came to his sister. Modo remembered very clearly the conversation they had had years ago when he and Copper started dating. Alloy had taken him aside and asked Modo his intentions towards Copper with that creepy, cheerful yet manic grin he had when he decked Modo. Modo had shivered at that smile; it was one of the scariest expressions he had ever seen on any humanoid. Modo had decided honesty would be best and told Alloy that he wasn't sure of his intentions towards Copper yet, but whatever happened he would try his best to keep Copper safe and happy. Alloy was pleased with the answer: it held no false promises of forever love in such an uncertain time. But he had the feeling Modo really cared about Copper, and that was good enough for him.

"Sorry about hitting you, bro," Alloy said, casually flicking hair out of his dark brown eyes. "Let my temper get the better of me."

"It's cool," Modo said, dropping Alloy's hand and rubbing his jaw again, praying it wouldn't start swelling. Alloy went behind the bar and grabbed a small chilling pack, handing it to Modo with a grin.

"Here. If I know my sister, she already got her shots in."

"Yup, she did," Modo said, taking the chilling pack and pressing it to his jaw with a groan as the coldness eased some of the throbbing. The alcohol buzz he had been feeling was fading, bringing the pain back to the front of his mind. Both of the twins packed a hell of a punch and he was grateful they hadn't broken anything.

Looking up, Modo saw Alloy starting at him, his ears perked forward and his eyes intent. Noticing Modo looking back, Alloy grinned and took a sip from the drink he had poured when Modo was distracted by the chilling pack. "I forgot how much Silver looks like you. Especially her eyes."

Modo felt a surge of pride wash through him at the mention of Silver looking like him. "Yeah…Just wish I coulda been here, ya know."

"I tried telling Copper that you would have come back," Alloy said, tying his hair back with a bit of string. "But she can be such a stubborn bitch. Especially when she's scared or wrong."

"Scared?" Modo couldn't imagine Copper scared of anything. Even when she had been captured and about to be sold off world by slavers, she had been spitting mad instead of scared.

Alloy nodded. "She's was terrified when she heard you got shot down. Couldn't get out of bed for almost a week, kept insisting she couldn't take care of the baby alone. Then she let the fear get to her and she turned into a scary bitch trying to prove how strong she could be without you." Smirking, Alloy took another sip of his drink. "The witch still can't look at another male, just so you know."

Modo's heart fluttered in his chest. Copper didn't have another male in her life. She had stayed faithful to him. Alloy chuckled at the goofy grin Modo had on his face. It was the same look Copper got on her face when she was thinking about Modo and thought no one was looking at her. His sister, for all her tough acting, was still in love with this giant of a male. She just needed to get over her feelings of duty to the planet and stubborn attitude.

The door leading upstairs opened, revealing Copper in her work clothes with Silver perched on her hip. Modo smiled at the image of his daughter and her mother, but then his still fluttering heart stopped dead and his jaw dropped when he saw what Copper was wearing. The black leather corset emphasized her slim waist and pushed her breasts up, giving her an amazing amount of cleavage. The pants clung to her strong legs and showed off how long they really were. Modo recognized the gold bangle above her bicep as the one she said had belonged to her mother and her hair was down in soft waves around her face down to her hips. Modo had only ever seen her hair down when they were in bed together and the association made his member stir in his pants.

Copper saw him look at her in a way that used to mean he was about to pounce on her and drag her to bed for a long round of lovemaking. Against her will she felt her cheeks warming and averted her gaze, putting Silver down after absently nuzzling her daughter's ear. Seeing her brother behind the bar, she sent him an evil glare that had Alloy quailing back against the wall. She stalked over to him, fists clenched and her teeth grinding. "And WHERE have you been, brother mine? You were supposed to be back an hour ago!"

Alloy looked a little scared, stepping back from Copper's rampage. "Well, you know, had to get some new, um, spark plugs for the bikes sis," he said, a nervous smile on his face.

"Like hel-heck you were. You were out with your little biker bimbo, weren't you?"

"She is NOT a bimbo, sis. She's one of the prettiest, coolest girls I've ever met!"

"She's a spoiled brat who wants you for your body."

Alloy smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Nothing wrong with that."

Copper growled and poked her brother in the chest. "There's plenty wrong with that. Save your flirting when it's your day off, not when I have to work and no way to get a sitter for Silver before we open."

"Uncle Alloy's in truh-BLE", Silver giggled, skipping over to Modo and standing right in front of him. Modo looked down at the little girl, suddenly unsure what to do. Silver smiled up at him and grabbed his pants pocket, gently tugging on the fabric. Quirking her head to one side, she said "Hey, Mr. Modo, you look like me!" Modo heard Copper draw in a breath, temporarily ceasing her berating of Alloy. Damn…she didn't think Silver's curiosity would ever make her want to tear out her hair.

"Why do you look like me?" Silver asked, her large red eyes looking so sweetly up at Modo. He swallowed and knelt down so he was eye level with his daughter, looking her straight in the face for the first time. It was like looking into the face of his younger self, but female. She really did have his eyes, but the shape of them was Copper's, as was the impertinent tilt of her nose. Her hair was the same burgundy with gold highlights that her mother had and was cut short to her chin with wispy bangs. Her ears were perfect little curves that had small gold hoops set into them. Silver was tall for her age but still had some baby fat on her and she wore a plain white shirt with a faded red skirt and no shoes. She had her mother's strong stance but Modo recognized her open expression: it was the same expression his sister always had when they were children. Silver's tail swished through the air behind her, the end of it occasionally curling around her ankle.

Modo's heart melted as he finally got a good look at his little one. Silver was a beautiful young female and would have her mother's looks when she got older. And Modo would be around for that. He had known about her existence for maybe an hour but he already knew he would do everything in his power to stay with his little girl and his woman. He smiled at Silver and, speaking carefully, said "Maybe we look alike because the Goddess wanted us to find each other and be friends."

"You want to be my friend, Mr. Modo? I like older friends, kids my age are stupid shitheads." Silver chirped, hugging a small mouse-shaped doll made of grey and red fabric to her chest. Copper groaned and pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead and Alloy winced; he thought they had gotten Silver to stop saying that.

Modo glared at Copper over Silver's shoulder; that was another thing they would have to talk about when they got the chance. Smiling at Silver, he said "Why, I sure would like to be your friend Miss Silver," Modo said. "How else will I find out if Li'l Sidewinder managed to get those reinforcements and beat the Plutarkians?"

Silver giggled and hugged Modo, her small arms wrapping easily around his neck. "I like you, Mr. Modo. Let's please be friends." Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Silver, careful not to crush her with her metal arm. Cupping the back of Silver's head in his normal hand, Modo breathed in the sweet child scent of his daughter. A fierce protective feeling rose in his chest, stronger than any urge to protect he had ever felt before. The feeling extended to Copper. He looked at her over Silver's shoulder and Copper sucked in a breath at the intensity of that look. She saw possessiveness in his eye and a promise to protect and cherish her daughter…and her.

'_Shit_,' she thought as she felt the same feelings flooding her chest. Fear rose up in response, fear of losing her mind if things didn't turn out the way she secretly hoped they would be and fear of the intensity of the look Modo gave her over their daughter's shoulder. '_I'm in trouble now_."

Alloy saw the look Copper and Modo were sharing and he had to smile. As hard as the last five years had been keeping Silver safe and Copper sane, it was worth it to see Modo with his arms around his daughter and looking at Copper like he would never let her go again. Alloy hoped things worked out the same for him and his chosen female, even if she didn't know he existed yet. Soon, though, he would break through Yana Glassgreen's heart and prove he was worthy of her.


	5. Chapter 5

Please review! I do allow anonymous reviews (hinthint)!

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Copper groaned under her breath and gave the male standing in front of her his drink with the best smile she could muster. Another took his place with a sweet smile that faded when a deep, threatening growl reached him from the large male sitting at the very end of the bar. He left as soon as Copper handed him his drink, not even smiling flirtatiously and tipping like he usually would.

She was ready to tear out her hair. She counted on getting tips from her looks and flirting to add to her savings and Modo growling at every male who looked at her with desire in his eyes was not adding to the jar. A few crumpled gills was all the tip jar held and it was getting to be late in the evening. If this kept up, she was going to have to kick Modo out.

It had been a week since he had strolled back into her life. He was at the bar every afternoon like clockwork to play with Silver while Alloy or Copper were running errands. Silver loved his company and Alloy didn't complain since it gave him more time to flirt with his crush. Copper had to admit Modo was good with his daughter and the two of them were getting closer by the day. But then he was there every night she worked, growling at males she flirted with for tips. She didn't even LIKE the males she flirted with, but they tipped better when she flashed a little cleavage or gazed sweetly at them through her eyelashes. Inside she was plotting the best way to hurt them should they act just the least bit fresh towards her. The males knew that, but they all adored the fight in her and hoped one day they could be the ones who tamed her.

However, the one that she wanted to do the taming was slowly driving her insane. Modo's possessiveness was scaring away her best tippers. He didn't speak to any of the males, just growled or loomed impressively. And when he did that, there was less money for her, and that meant less money to put away for Silver's future. After growing up nearly on the edge of poverty, Copper wanted to make sure that her baby had everything she could ever need. Even if she needed to flash a little tit to ensure that.

"That's IT," she cursed when yet another customer who was usually a generous tipper walked off without throwing anything into her jar when Modo growled at him. "Lani," she hissed to the young brown-and-white spotted waitress whose exotic fur pattern also helped bring in money, "Watch the bar, will you? I need to have a chat with my guard dog." Lani nodded and stepped behind the bar as Copper vaulted over, earning her some whistles from the crowd. Modo looked at her with a smile on his face, his brow quirked up at her furious expression.

"Hey darlin'. Nice night, isn't it?"

"Go to hell, Modo," she snapped, her ear flat against her head in anger. "Come with me, RIGHT NOW. We need to chat."

"Well sure, I ain't gonna say no to a chat with you." Still smiling in that sweet way that made her knees weak, he preceded her outside, holding the outside door open for her then following her around to the back of the bar. A warm breeze was rolling in off the desert and the stars were shining brightly in the deep black sky, both moons half-full and shining down. Copper in the moonlight was one of his favorite sights, even when she looked like she was about to fillet him with the small knife he knew she kept tucked in her right boot. She was practically steaming, her eyes narrowed to slits with her arms crossed over her chest. He leaned against the back wall of the bar, hands casually in his pockets. "So what did you want to talk about, darlin' lady?"

Copper shivered; the way he called her 'darlin' lady' in that deep baritone made her heart beat a little faster and called to mind soft sheets and a hard body pressed against her. "First off, stop calling me a lady. I'm in no way a lady now and I never will be. Second, you need to back the fuck off. You're scaring away my customers."

Modo shrugged and looked up at the stars. "I don't know what you mean, darlin' lady."

Copper growled at him. "Dammit, Modo, you know exactly what I mean. Those boys aren't exactly willing to tip or flirt with the bartender when they keep getting growled at by a freaking mountain of a male like you."

"Jus' trying to watch out for you. Some of those 'boys' look like they want more than flirting and are willing to hurt ya to get what they want."

"Hey, I can protect myself," she retorted. "You helped make sure of that." She regretted the words almost as soon as they came out. She had been trying to avoid talking about the past all week. In fact, she had avoided being alone with Modo as well, yet here she was, talking to him behind her bar where no one could see or hear them. Wonderful.

Modo blinked and looked at her, meeting her defiant stare with a more relaxed one. He smirked and took his hands out of his pockets, stepping closer to Copper. He had been waiting for an opportunity like this all week. She took her personal safety much less seriously than he could have liked, and this was a perfect chance to teach her a lesson the only way her stubborn self would accept. "Alright darlin', I'll lay off a little. On one condition." She raised a brow at that, not sure she liked the warm undertone in his voice. His smile widened and he continued: "Spar with me. Prove you can take care of yourself."

Copper shifted back a little in surprise. Modo had never openly challenged her before, preferring to let her decide when they would practice together. It was against his gentler nature to initiate fights unless his bros were in trouble. He was also the one who had taught her most of her fighting moves, so he had an advantage there and with his superior size and strength. But she had been practicing the past five years, especially when she was trying to lose the baby weight after having Silver. She had a few surprises for him and her agility might give her an advantage. Grinning toothily, she took a tie from her pants pocked and quickly braided her hair into a thick cable, her body tingling at what she was about to do. Winning would mean she could take care of herself without Modo and get her tips back. Losing…well, that wasn't her favorite option, but worse things had happened to her. And this gave her the chance to touch Modo again… "No weapons," she said, her voice coming out in a low purr of excitement.

"'Course," Modo said, standing straight with his arms held loose by his sides. He could feel his body practically vibrating; while he didn't, under any circumstance, get off on fighting a female, he had always felt a kind of joy when he fought Copper. She could usually handle herself against him, unlike most other females on this planet, and he knew he would never hurt her. But he loved her fighter's spirit, and sparring with her was one of the best ways to bring that spirit out. He stood loose and ready, his feet planted and arms relaxed by his sides.

Copper sprang into action almost immediately, swinging a kick at his side with her left foot. Modo caught her foot but was surprised when her tail snapped out and smacked him across the face. Momentarily stunned, he loosened his grip on Copper just enough for her to twist free. She grinned at him and winked before feinting to one side. Modo followed and received a punch to his gut for his trouble. Growling softly, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her in close. She pinched the nerve in his wrist that made him let go and danced away again. Modo grinned; she had learned some new moves since he had been teaching her. This would have been fun under normal circumstances, but he was trying to teach her a lesson. Time to bring this to a close before she got ideas or hurt herself trying to win.

Quick as a snake, he used his tail to reach out, wrap around her waist and drag her to him again. She struggled and cursed but even Modo's tail was stronger than she was. She managed to twist around so her back was to him, using her own tail to smack at his legs and kicking back at his shins with her heels. He growled softly and hooked his arms under her shoulders, linking his hands behind her neck in what Earth wrestlers called a 'full Nelson'. Vinnie had been a fan of professional wrestling during their stay on Earth and Modo had picked up a few moves for his own use. Copper fought against him, grunting as her shoulders were pulled into an uncomfortable position. Because of their height difference, she had to stand on her toes to keep from dislocating her shoulders, her tail still slapping at his legs. His tail let go of his waist and twisted around hers, keeping it immobile.

Copper couldn't move. If she tried kicking out at him, she would loose her balance and put pressure on her shoulders, probably dislocating one or both of them. She wiggled a little bit, trying to find a weak point in Modo's hold. The male was as unforgiving as iron. She growled softly and made herself relax a little. She knew when she was beat, even if she hated it more than sand raiders. "Nice hold," she muttered. "Where did you learn in?"

"TV," he muttered, keeping his voice quiet since her ear was so close to his mouth. His breath caught in his throat when he realized her body was pressed flush against his. Taking a deep breath, Modo inhaled Copper's scent into his lungs, moaning softly as her sweet desert flower smell flooded his senses. The way he held her, her firm rear fit perfectly into his hips. He backed his hips away a few inches to resist the temptation to rub his hardness against her, especially when he looked down and noticed the way he had her arms above her head held her entire body taunt, her breasts almost popping out of her corset. He hadn't really thought of this before putting her in the full Nelson, but neither was he complaining about the results.

Copper shivered as she felt his warm breath tickling the fine fur on her ear. Sudden heat bloomed in her belly and between her thighs and she had to grit her teeth together to keep from groaning. She could feel Modo trembling slightly behind her but his grip on her never faltered. His hips moved back, probably to keep from rubbing against her, and she failed to keep a self-satisfied grin from her face. He had done that a lot when they first began sparring and was trying to hide his arousal from her. Good to know she still had that effect on him.

The sides of her brain were fighting with each other; her bitchy stubborn self screamed at her to ignore the heat between them and keep fighting while the loving feminine side of her said to move forward, encourage him. So what if he maybe didn't love her back? She hadn't gotten any in five years and she trusted this male more than any other. So she made her decision.

Telling her stubborn bitchy side to shove it, Copper pushed her hips back a few inches to make contact with the front of Modo's jeans. She mewed softly when she felt the impressive hump rubbing against the base of her tail, her head lolling back to rest against his clasped hands. Modo groaned and gently nibbled the base of Copper's ear but didn't press against her even though his brain was screaming at him to do just that. She hadn't really given him permission yet and there was no way he would do anything without her express wish.

Copper's shoulders were starting to ache from being held in a full Nelson. "Modo," she whispered. "Let me go. You're hurting me." Modo grimaced and let her go, dread filling the pit of his stomach. He hadn't meant to hold her like that for so long (to fair, he had had one hell of a distraction) and he must have really been hurting her for her to complain. Copper stepped away from him, rubbing her shoulders to try and work out some of the tension. Modo saw her breath was shallow and uneven and the dread in his stomach got even heavier. Goddess, if he had hurt her…

Copper turned to face him again. He had a split second to see the aroused fire in her eyes before she pulled his face down to hers and fiercely pressed her mouth to his. Like the first time they kissed, Modo froze, unsure if this was really happening or not. Then Copper's teeth bit hard into his lip, demanding a response from him. He growled and wrapped his arms around her, once again crushing her against the hard planes of his body and kissing her just as fiercely as she was kissing him. Apparently he had her permission. Copper moaned and ran her hands over his shoulders, arms, and upper back, greedily exploring the heavenly muscled body she had been dreaming about for five years. Modo was doing the same, his touch on her back and neck making her tremble. He pulled off the tie that held her braid and let his hands tangle in her hair, re-memorizing the silky yet rough feel of her thick strands. When his metal finger brushed against her antenna she groaned and arched into him, hooking one knee over his hip to draw him closer. Modo's hand instantly went to cup her rear to help support her and keep her pressed against his aching member. Even through the leather of her pants and the denim of his own he could feel the heat radiating from the place between her thighs. Her tongue reached out to dance with his as their hips ground together, letting five years of restrained passion and tension explode out in hazy, lusty spirals.

Modo brushed against the sensitive spot right behind her right ear that always made her body arch into an almost perfect 'u'. The gesture had the desired response, Copper bending back as much as her corset would allow while biting back a scream. Modo took the opportunity to nibble and kiss her neck while his finger continued to gently caress that spot. Copper shivered against him, her mouth open as her eyes stared unseeing at the stars. Her body was singing, that one spot a weakness no one but Modo knew about. She forcefully pulled her head away from his hand before she lost her mind and pressed soft kisses on his cheek and the base of his ear, her tongue dancing over the fine fur below his eye patch. Modo groaned her name and kissed her again, his lips gentle this time, his tongue a tickling caress. Her lips were soft, the feel of her pressed against him a delight. This was the sweet and sensual Copper he remembered, the one who could give and take as much as he could.

Then her mouth broke away and she tucked her head into her favorite spot right under his chin. Her arms wrapped around his middle, her fingers still tracing lazy patterns through his fur under his chest piece. She unhooked her knee from his hip and stood against him, letting him support her weight. Modo sighed and rubbed his cheek against the top of her head, taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart.

Copper reluctantly pulled away and smiled up at Modo, straightening her clothing and shaking out her hair. "Um, I should get back in there. Goddess only knows what kind of trouble Lani is getting into alone in there." She turned to go back inside but Modo caught her hand.

"Now wait a second," he said. "Wha' was that all about?"

Copper bit into her lower lip in a most fetching way. Modo growled at the sight of that kiss-plumped lip caught between her teeth. "I'm not sure," she murmured. With a sigh, she molded herself against him again and nuzzled his collarbone. "I still want you, Modo. But there's all this shit between us…"

"Yeah," he said, tilted her face up to look at him. "But we'll work through it together." He kissed her gently, reassuring her. Copper smiled against his mouth and playfully licked his nose. Reluctantly breaking away she went around the building to the front, trading a friendly wave with her other waitress, Shuttle, who was just coming on to her shift. She paused by the door, quirking a brow at Modo, who was following her.

"You gonna behave?"

He shrugged, making the muscles in his arm and shoulders ripple. "No promises. You didn't win."

"Like fuck I didn't," she purred, sending a jolt of pleasure through Modo's spine. She winked at him and strode into the bar, her hips and tail swishing seductively. Modo growled softly and followed her in, glaring at two males who whistled as Copper walked past. This female was going to be the death of his sanity. But what a way to go…

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See, I am not always mean to Modo!

And I had trouble staging the sparring sequence so if anything sounds weird, that's why. XD


	6. Interlude 1: The Song

I have been so busy/stressed/cranky the last few weeks it's not even funny. I'm working on the next installment, but until then have this little interlude that takes place...sometime. Not really sure when.

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The sun was barely cresting over Olympus Mons when Silver decided it was time to wake Mama for breakfast. Mama had been working all night and hadn't come home until well past Silver's bedtime. Silver had been up anyway, playing with her dolls in the main room while Uncle Alloy snored on the couch. Mama had been so tired: she had gone right to bed after telling Silver and Uncle Alloy to get their tails there as well.

Silver had slept for a little while but now the sun was rising and it was time for breakfast. Her little stomach rumbled as she played with some of her toys, trying to wait for Mama or Uncle Alloy to wake up so they could make breakfast. After awhile she couldn't stand the gnawing feeling in her stomach and made up her mind to wake Mama so they could eat. Silver wasn't allowed to use the stove since she had ruined one of Mama's pots. Mama still swore she didn't think ceramic pots should melt.

Silver padded over to her mother's room, carefully opening the door so it wouldn't squeak. Mama was sleeping curled under a nest of blankets, only the tips of her antennae showing on the pillow. Silver called for her softly, but Mama just rolled over and tucked her head deeper under the blankets. Silver came up to the side of the bed, staring up at Mama before poking her gently where she assumed the shoulder would be. Mama growled softly and turned over, curling into a tighter ball under the blankets.

Then Silver had an idea. Sometimes Mama would sing to wake Silver up in the mornings. Maybe if Silver sang to her, Mama would wake up. Thinking for a second, Silver's ears went up and she smiled. She had the perfect song!

Climbing up onto the side of the bed, Silver sat near her mother's head and took a deep breath. She sang as loud as she could, getting louder with each line:

_Do your ears hang low,_

_Do they wobble to and fro?_

_Can you tie them in a knot,_

_Can you tie them in a bow?_

_Can you throw them over your shoulder,_

_Like a continental soldier?_

_Oh do your ears hang loooooowwwww?_

Mama sat straight up in bed, holding the covers up to her chin as she glared sleepily at Silver. "Silver sweetie, what the hell was that?"

"It's a song Mr. Modo taught me," Silver said, grabbing the blanket and tugging. "Get up Mama, it's breakfast time!"

Mama groaned and sank back into bed. "It's too early, Silver sweetie. Go back to bed."

"Noooo," Silver whined, still pulling on the blanket but having no success getting it off her mother. "I'm hungry!"

Mama growled softly and glared at Silver from between blankets. "Silver sweetie, Mama had a rough night. Why don't you go sing to Uncle Alloy and get him to make breakfast?"

"But I wanna sing to YOU!" Silver protested. "And Uncle Alloy makes bad breakfast." Taking another deep breath, Silver started again:

_Do your ears hang low,_

_Do they wobble to and fro?_

_Can you tie them in a knot,_

_Can you tie them in a bow?_

_Can you throw them over your-_

"Silver," Mama growled from beneath the blankets. "Go. Bother. Uncle. Alloy. Mama. Is. Still. Sleeping."

Silver sniffed and jumped off the bed, glaring at her mother. "You're mean, Mama."

"I know, I know," Mama said. "I'll make it up to you later." Silver glared at her mother again before stalking out and slamming the door hard enough to knock a small pot off the bedside table.

Copper sighed and turned onto her stomach, ready to drift off again. But that song Silver had been singing was so infectious…

After tossing and turning for half an hour trying to go back to sleep, Copper gave up: that stupid song was stuck in her head and wouldn't let her fall back into slumber land. "I'm going to kill you, Modo," she growled. "Kill you dead for teaching our girl that song."

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When the bros sing this song is one of my favorite scenes in the old series. Even if they are WAAAAAAAYY off key. :-D


	7. Chapter 6

Ohmigawd I hope you guys don't hate me! I've been super busy the last month with finals and life drama and all this crap I just haven't had time to write. Then I went on vacation (and learned to ride a motorcycle! I was terrified!) and had a nice rest. Now it's summer for me so I'll either be super motivated or everything will fall flat. Let's hope that second one doesn't happen. Long-ish chapter for you lovely people, hope you like it. ;) And please be sure to review, it makes me feel so happy and giddy.

**DISCLAIMER TIME (since I haven't done one of these yet...)!** I don't own the bros, sadfaces abound. Please don't sue me, I'm poor. And please don't use any of my characters (Copper, Silver, Alloy, Lani, etc) without permission.

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"Mama, hurry up! Hurry up!"

Copper smiled at her daughter. Silver was currently skipping ahead of Copper, her hair bouncing with every move. The little girl's bare feet (she refused to wear shoes) kicked up clouds of dust as they walked home from the market in the light of the setting sun. Copper had a heavy box filled with food and their water rations balanced on one hip as she followed Silver, dodging other shoppers and keeping an eye on her daughter. Silver was prone to wandering away and not showing up again for a few hours. Both Alloy and Copper would be out searching for her only to find she had somehow gotten back into their home and into bed without them knowing. Silver always came back unscathed from these little adventures, but she never told her mother or uncle exactly where it was she went.

"Silver sweetie, slow down!" Copper called, apologizing softly when she stepped on an elderly mouse's tail trying to catch up to Silver. The elder smiled kindly and continued on, chuckling at memories of her own son getting into similar mischief when he was younger.

Copper finally caught up to Silver, grabbing the girls' arm in a gentle grip. "Silver sweetie, don't run ahead of Mama, ok?"

"'Kay," Silver chirped, pulling her arm free and walking slowly next to her mother and swinging her doll by one arm. Copper shook her head and wrapped the end of her tail around Silver's, keeping her close; knowing Silver, she'd run off the second Copper looked away. Copper sighed contently as she strolled with her daughter through the crowded streets of Redrock's market quarter, occasionally having to shift the box on her hip or tighten her tail's grip on Silver's.

Named for the red cliffs surrounding it, Redrock had been a center for arts and agriculture before the Plutarkian invasion. Located in a valley in the Ausonia Montes, the city was surrounded by fertile land from ancient volcanic explosions. Farms had been abundant in the time before the invasion but were mostly abandoned when the fish took over and the water dried up. With the help of the Regenerator, some of Redrock's farms had reopened.

Mostly protected by mountains, Redrock had milder sandstorms than the rest of Mars, allowing the city to be half in and half out of the caves tunneling into the cliffs. Much of the city had been destroyed by Plutarkian bombing but was slowly being rebuilt. Until then, the streets were accessible mostly by walking, with only a few broader streets that could fit motorcycles and other large vehicles.

Copper growled as Silver started to pull away again. "Silver sweetie, why are you in such a hurry tonight? You're making Mama frazzled trying to keep up with you."

"'sa surprise," Silver said, then was silent on the subject. They got to the entrance of their cave home, Copper starting to feel annoyed by her daughter's stubborn refusal to answer the question. She almost tore her denims pocket trying to pull out the key to the front door while holding onto both the box and Silver.

Cursing under her breath, Copper fit the key into the lock and pushed open the door, ushering Silver in before her. Silver ran down the short corridor to her room, picking up her other dolls and getting them into battle positions. Copper put the box on the table and stuck her head into Alloy's sectioned off bedroom, shaking her head when she saw her twin was not there. 'Probably off with that biker skank,' Copper thought unkindly. But since this was both their nights off from the bar, she guessed he could do whatever he wanted.

Putting the food away into the cupboards, Copper called out "Silver sweetie, what do you want for dinner?"

"Kare ba!" Silver called back, bringing herself and her doll collection into the main room to play on the floor.

Copper raised a brow at the request; Silver normally did not like the spicy yellow stew served over cooked oryza grain. "You sure, sweetie?"

"Yup," her daughter replied. "Make lots."

Copper blinked and crouched down by Silver. "Silver, it's just you and me. Why do I need to make lots?"

"'sa surprise," Silver said again, grinning at her mother.

Copper growled and, standing up, settled her hands on her hips, giving her daughter the Look. "Silver, why do I need to make a lot of kare?" Silver squirmed under the Look for a moment, then mumbled something Copper couldn't catch. "Sweetie, why-?"

There was a knock on the door. Copper shook her head and stepped over Silver and her toys to open the door. Her butt almost hit the floor when she saw Modo standing in the door and…great Goddess, he had a _flower_ in his hand. The spiky purple kind of flower with a pale pink heart and petals that were a deeper purple at the tips. Twilight stars were her favorite and had been rare even when Mars was green. Where had he managed to find one…?

He smiled shyly at her. "Evenin', Copper darlin'."

"H-hey," she stuttered back, cursing in her head for tripping over her tongue. "What are you doing here?"

Modo's expression went from loving and cheerful to slightly confused. "What d'ya mean? Silver said ya wanted me to come over for dinner tonight."

"Oh, she did, did she?" Copper drawled, looking over her shoulder just in time to see a small grey tail disappear into the curtained-off area that was Alloy's bedroom. "This is news to me."

"Oh…" Modo sighed, looking a little deflated. Even the flower seemed to wilt a little. "I'm sorry, darlin'. I didn't know…Do ya want me to leave?"

Copper worried her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment before smiling at him. "No. Stay, if you like."

Modo's shy smile returned and he stepped into the short hallway, placing a kiss on Copper's brow. "Appreciate it, darlin' lady. Here," he said as he handed her the flower. "I brought this for you." Copper blushed under her fur, accepting the flower when he handed it to her. She took a cursory sniff and sighed deeply when the scent went into her lungs, a small smile pulling up her lips.

Modo's heart beat a little faster as Copper took obvious pleasure in his gift. His mama had managed to keep a few twilight star plants alive during the invasion and while he had originally thought it a funny way to spend her water rations he was now grateful to his grey-furred mama. Copper glanced over her shoulder again and, seeing Silver nowhere in sight, stood on tiptoe to press a kiss on Modo's lips. "Thank you, baby. I can't believe you remembered this was my favorite flower."

Modo blushed slightly; he hadn't really remembered, he just thought the flower was pretty. And conveniently growing in his mama's flower box. "Aww, it wasn't nothin'…" Copper grinned before walking back to the kitchen to fill a small glass with water for her flower. Modo closed the door behind him and locked it, taking a curious glance at her home while he was at it.

Like all cave dwellings, the home followed the original lines of rock that made up the cave system. Here in Redrock, the stone was a dusty red color. Hand-made furniture filled the main room: a well-loved couch with leather cushions was fitted to the curve of one wall, as was a dining table and chairs of a reddish wood Modo didn't recognize. A rug braided from various shades of red and grey cloth covered the stone floor. It felt soft and cushy under the soles of Modo's boots. The kitchen was toward the back of the dwelling and slightly hidden behind an outcropping of rock, as was a curtain separating a medium-sized niche from the rest of the room. A slim hallway to Modo's right led off from the main room. Modo assumed they led to the bedrooms and bathroom. There were ceramic jars and bowls set on stands throughout the space. All were beautifully formed and painted in bright colors that made Modo smile. "Who made these?" he called to Copper.

"Mom did. She was a potter before she died," Copper said as she came into the main room, carrying her flower in a small vase with a neck just big enough to fit the thin stem of the plant. "And a painter. And a jeweler. She was a really talented artist."

"You don' talk about her much."

Copper shrugged, placing the vase in the center of the table with a sad smile. "Not much to say. She died when Alloy and I were two. I never knew her." Modo frowned at that and stepped across the room, pulling her into his arms. Copper was stiff for a moment before she relaxed into him, tucking her head under his chin. He didn't say anything as he held her because nothing needed to be verbalized. His sorrow for her loss was transmitted in that loving hug. Copper tilted her face up smiled at Modo. "Thank you, Modo baby."

"Not a problem," Modo grinned as she pulled away from him. He already missed the feel of her in his arms…

"Silver requested kare ba for dinner. That ok with you?"

"Sounds tasty."

"Awesome. Could you drag her out of Alloy's room and keep her occupied?"

"Not a problem, Copper darlin'." He nuzzled her ear- just because he could- and pushed aside the curtain that separated Alloy's space from the rest of the room. The space was small but neat with a thick bedroll in one corner and a little desk in the other. There were few decorations save the walls that had been painted deep red with black, orange and charcoal swirls; Modo had the impression he had walked into a volcano just after explosion. He saw Silver's tail peeking out from under the desk and grinned, sneaking behind her as quietly as he could. Reaching out, he grabbed the little girl around the waist and hauled her out from under the desk. Silver shrieked loudly, first with fear, then with laughter as she realized who had her in his strong grip. Modo laughed with her, gently tossing her up into the air and then catching her.

"Mister Modo!" Silver shrieked loudly enough to make Modo's ears ring. "Again, Mister Modo!" Modo laughed and tossed her again, careful not to throw her into the ceiling. These were moments he loved: playing with Silver, listening to her laugh. While his time on Earth had been full of adventure and fun times, he would have traded it all if he could have been with Silver and Copper.

"Come on, Miss Silver," he said, tucking her under his arm like a bag and taking her out into the main room. "Show me what you were doing with these troops." Silver giggled and kicked, trying to break free. Modo put her down gently, aware of Copper watching them both with a smile on her face as she added bright yellow kare powder to a pot of vegetables. Silver started chattering about how the Freedom Fighters were going to surround and take the Plutarkian base of operations, Modo putting in his thoughts when asked. She was surprisingly sharp and tactical for such a little girl. Copper had obviously been teaching their daughter the tools of the soldier trade.

The door opened with a loud bang, startling Modo out of play mode. Alloy smiled apologetically and closed the door quieter than he had opened it. "Hey guys. What's up?"

"Hi Uncle Alloy!" Silver said, waving at him. "Mister Modo an' L'il Sidewinder are about to destroy the Plutarkian base."

"Very cool, Silver star." Taking a sniff, Alloy's grin widened. "Kare? You haven't made this in ages, sis."

"Silver requested it," Copper said, setting the lid on the pot of oryza. "Twenty minutes and we eat. Until then…" She settled herself on the floor behind Silver, stretching her legs out on either side of the girl. "Show me what you're doing here, Silver sweetie."

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Dinner was delicious: Modo had never had such tasty kare. Copper and Alloy were constantly jabbing at each other, but it was all in fun. Silver took exactly three bites of her requested dinner before proclaiming it too spicy, even though Copper had made it as mild as possible. Modo has absorbed the feel of the family and interjected from time to time, even telling the story of how he and his bros had met Charley for the first time.

Alloy had cleaned up the dishes, leaving Copper available to play with Modo and Silver. It was the first time they played like that, with Silver attacking Modo and Copper's forces and making them surrender. Bored with playing soldiers and starting to fall asleep, Silver had demanded a story. With her parents on either side of her, Copper told her the story of how the Goddess, being alone and lonely, had created Mars and the Mice. Silver fell asleep halfway through, her little body curled up against Modo's side with her ear on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

Copper felt her heart grow soft at the sight of Silver curled up against her father like that. She had many a good memory of sitting on this same couch with her daddy as he told stories of the Goddess and past heroes. She had cuddled against her father the same way Silver was cuddled up against Modo, with her ear to his chest so she could listen to his heart. Even now, Copper found the sound very soothing. In fact, leaning against Modo like this, she was starting to get sleepy…

Copper opened her eyes and yawned widely, rubbing at her eyes as she sat up. A blanket fell off her shoulders. She blinked, confused at its presence on top of her. She didn't remember having that on…A quick glance at the one window in the room showed a night sky peppered with stars with a hint of moonlight; it was only a few hours after sunset. She must have fallen asleep while cuddling with-

Wait, where were Silver and Modo?

A quick glance into Alloy's space showed her twin snoring away on his sleeping pad, his tail twitching as he lay sprawled on top of his blankets. She peeked into her bedroom as well: no one was in her room. A few steps down the hall and she was at Silver's door. Opening the door as quietly as she could, Copper smiled at Silver, asleep in her bed with her small body curled up in a ball under the thin red blanket. Copper walked into the room and stood next to her daughter's bed and gently smoothed back the dark red curls around Silver's ears. Silver stirred gently but didn't wake, her small fist curled up next to her cheek.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Copper started slightly at the whisper; Modo could be surprisingly quiet for a male his size. He stood just behind the door, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Silver sleep. He had carried her to her room when she conked out on the couch and had enjoyed a few minutes of watching his daughter breathe. Silver filled his heart with such love he didn't know what to do with himself except just watch her and play with her.

Copper blinked at the expression on Modo's face, blushing slightly when his intense gaze turned on her. Jeez, she was acting like a teenager with her first crush. All during dinner she kept catching him looking at her like that and her cheeks would warm. Thank the Goddess she had such dark fur or she would have been beyond humiliated. Looking for a distraction, she tucked the blanket tighter around Silver. Strong arms enveloped her from behind, making the air in the room seem to disappear. She swallowed and leaned back into his warmth, sighing softly at the feel of his breath on her ear. They stood watching their daughter together, Modo holding Copper tight, breathing in unison.

She took his hand and pulled him out of the room towards her bedroom. Modo followed quietly, taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart. Copper pulled him inside her room and shut the door behind them. Her room was slightly bigger than Silver's and boasted a window that looked out over the canyon leading into the city. The main features were a huge chest with several locks and an overstuffed bed lurking in a corner like a desert bear waiting to seize its prey. Copper sat on top of the bed and patted a part of the comforter next to her "Sit down, baby. I think it's time too talk." Modo nodded his head and tried to hide his inner panic. Anything he had planned on saying was fleeing from his brain, driven away by one thought: Copper on the bed.

He cursed himself inside his head. When had he become such a horndog? This was Vinnie's usual MO, not his. He was the polite gentleman, not the playboy. Swallowing, he forced his thoughts far away, making himself focus on sitting down without embarrassing himself or Copper. She was playing with a loose thread coming out of the deep blue bedspread. "I'm, um, sorry to drag you into my room like this. But out in the living room we'd be bothering Alloy." She snorted through her nose, showing her usual loving contempt for her twin. "The male has more than enough cash for a place of his own but he insists on staying here."

Modo chuckled softly and sat down on top of the large chest sitting next to the door. He figured it was safer here than on the bed with Copper. She smirked at his choice in seating. "You might want to be careful, Modo baby. That's where I keep my guns."

Modo laughed at that, settling his shoulders back against the wall with his hands behind his head. "I'd-a thought ya would have kept them closer to yer bed."

"No…It wouldn't fit" Copper drawled, her eyes drifting over the way the muscles in Modo's arms bunched, his chest straining against his chest plate. She had no idea if he was doing it on purpose but damn if it wasn't a beautiful sight. Then the reason why she invited him in came back to her and sobered her mood. Frowning, she spoke slowly, trying to find her words as she went. "I wanted to fully explain myself-my actions and choices."

Modo frowned and learned toward her, settling his elbows on his knees. "Ya don't need to explain nothin' too me, darin'-"

"But I want too," she interrupted. "I need to get this shit off my chest if we ever want a chance to start over."

Modo's frown deepened, his eye fixed on Copper's face, trying to discern her emotions. She was worrying her lower lip between her teeth, her eyes downcast as she thought. She looked so…vulnerable, he supposed. "Alright, darlin'. What do you want t' tell me?"

Copper swallowed. "That I'm sorry for not telling you about Silver the second I found out."

"When did ya find out?"

"A few days before you were sent away." She looked up at him and looked away just as quickly when she saw the shocked look on his face. "At the time, I thought you'd only be gone for awhile and we needed you guys on the front lines. But then you were caught on Earth and I…I got so angry when you didn't try to contact me at all. It was like you'd forgotten me." She swallowed again, holding back tears. "I wasn't sure what too do. I didn't want to try and contact you because I thought you didn't care. I thought-"

"Copper." His voice was still low and even but had an undercurrent of hurt in it. She looked up at him, startled: the way he said he name made her go completely still. Modo's expression was alien. For the first time, she couldn't read what he was thinking or feeling. "Copper," he said again, coming to kneel in front of her. He took her hands in his and pressed them to his heart, looking up into her beautiful brown eyes. "I care about ya. I…I love ya. All these years apart, not a day went by where I didn't think about ya."

"Why didn't you let me know you were ok?" she whispered, unable to look away from him. "Why didn't you come for me?"

It was Modo's turn to swallow, but he also didn't look away. "I was scared, darlin'. Scared ya hadn't waited, that ya'd moved on while I couldn't contact ya."

Copper was silent for a moment. Then, sliding off the bed, she knelt in front of him and took his face between her hands. Her eyes were wet with tears when she looked at him, staring hard at the face she loved so much. And that loved her back. "You stupid asshole," she said with a gentle smile. "You're still the only one that can make me cry." He tried to apologize but she silenced him with a kiss. "You're the only male I've ever loved, Modo Maverick," she whispered against his mouth. "And you won't get away so easy a second time."

Modo was silent, unsure whether this was actually happening. (This seemed to be a regular reaction with him lately…) Then, as was her nature, Copper bit his lip and demanded he respond to her. Something around his heart crumbled and fell away as he wrapped his arms around her, securely anchoring his woman to him. This kiss was nothing like the one they had shared four nights ago; this was sweet and passionate, not hungry with a hint of anger. This kiss was worth the years of separation, danger and worry. That moment with their hearts being together and their arms twined around each other so they could not discern where one ended and one began meant everything to them. That moment was when they found their home again.


	8. Chapter 7

Hey guys. Sorry (again) that it took me so long in between updates. The drama that kept me from writing last time has NOTHING on the drama that kept me from writing this time. Hopefully it will all cool down soon.

Please review! I allow anonymous reviews and they make me so very happy.

**DISCLAIMER TIME!** I don't own the bros, sadfaces abound. Please don't sue me, I'm poor. And please don't use any of my characters (Copper, Silver, Alloy, Lani, etc) without permission. I do not own the song 'Nothing else Matters' and am making no profit from it.

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"Modo! Hey, Vinnie to Modo, come in Modo!"

"Huh?" Modo looked up from his current daydream about Copper. This one had involved Copper in her work clothes, their bikes and a perfectly clear evening sky. He'd always wanted to have a picnic with her under the stars…

"Bro, you are so spaced!" Vinnie said with a cheeky grin. "It's your turn!"

Modo looked down the stretch of greased road to the bottle at the end. The object was to ride as fast as possible down the oily road then brake and slide as close to the bottle as possible without hitting it. Modo was a master at this game, habitually beating Vinnie and Throttle. But for once, Vinnie was right: he was completely spaced out. He had broken the first two bottles because he had been thinking about Copper and wasn't able to concentrate. Vinnie was practically giddy from the joy of beating Modo at this game. Throttle had watching his bro covertly, a small frown etched between his eyebrows. This was really unlike Modo. The male loved this game and was generally upset if he lost. Today he was off somewhere else, his eye unfocused as he gazed into a distant place far from where they were.

Throttle made a face as Modo revved up L'il Hoss. "Hold up, bro," he said, leaning his elbows against Lady's handlebars as he stared at his bro. "What's going on?"

"Ain't nothing going on," Modo growled. The effectiveness of the growling tone was hindered by the smile he couldn't keep from his face.

"Uh huh," Throttle drawled, not believing him for a second. "C'mon, bro, we know something's up. Vinne would have no chance against you at this game otherwise."

"Hey now, don't say it like that!" Vinnie protested. "I've beaten him plenty of times before!"

"Name one."

"Um…well, it's not like I remember off the top of my head…I mean, I'd have to check my calendar-"

"Right, Vincent," Throttle chuckled. Turning his gaze back to Modo, he quirked a brow at the big male; Modo was staring off again, head propped on his hand and he looked up at the clouds. Good Goddess, he was acting like-

Throttle's eyes widened behind his shades as the answer struck him like lightning. The only time Modo was ever this spacey was when he was around a certain red-furred female. A small grin crept onto Throttle's features. There was only one way to confirm his suspicions: a long, complicated tirade of questions meant to lull Modo into a state of confusion and slowly coax the answer out of him.

Nah, screw complicated. Biker mice questioning had all the finesse of a sledgehammer.

"So, Modo, did you have a nice time with Copper last night?"

Modo's eye widened and he tried to answer, but all his throat would produce was incomprehensible gibberish. Vinnie's eyes widened and he stared at Modo. "Bro, no way! You got back together with that spitfire?"

"How'd ya know?" Modo said.

"You're acting like you always did around her," Throttle replied, "all spaced out and grinning like an idiot."

"So you guessed," Vinnie said.

"Well duh, cheese brain," Throttle said, playfully smacking his the younger mouse upside the head. Vinnie glared at Throttle, rubbing the back of his head. Then a realization came to him as well.

"So that's why you haven't been around so much the past month! Aahwooohoo, bro, tell me she's as good as she looks!"

"That ain't none of your business, Vincent," Modo growled, his eye flashing red at the white mouse. Vinnie backed off right away, hands held in front of him in a peace gesture. He'd forgotten it was a bad idea to joke about Copper like that in front of Modo. Last time he had done it he'd ended up with a bruise on his buttcheek for almost two months. He still didn't think he had quite the same sensation there as he had before he'd crossed a gentle mouse in love.

"Cool it, bro," Throttle interjected before Vinnie got his butt handed to him by way of a blaster shot. "Vinnie's just a little excited."

"Yeah, I nothing meant by it," Vinnie said, his voice a little higher than normal. "So could you please put the blaster away? Or at least stop aiming it at me?"

"Huh?" Modo hadn't even realized that he'd engaged his weapons. "Oh…sorry bro." He grinned apologetically at Vinnie. "Don't know what came over me."

"Little Miss Van Speed did," Throttle chuckled. "So when did you two meet back up again?"

"'Bout a month ago. Decided it was time to find her."

"Very cool, my man. She still runnin' around with that brother of hers?"

Modo grinned. "Oh yeah. They've got a bar over in Redrock, the Silver Star."

"Hey, I've heard of that place!" Vinnie interrupted. "Kas said it was a cool joint to hang out."

"That girlfriend number six or seven, Vinnie?" Throttle said with a roll of his eyes.

"Nine, but who's counting?" the white mouse said with a cocky grin and a flex of his chest. "Studly guys like me keep them in line."

"Good thing Charley ma'am ain't here to hear ya say that or she'd make ya eat yer tail," Modo growled. He did not approve of Vinnie's many conquests, especially when he knew how Vinnie and Charley felt about each other. Vinnie just kept trying to bury his feelings under more and more females and hadn't even contacted Charley in a year. Then again, Throttle and he weren't much better, but there was no real way to contact her without causing major trouble for themselves with the Martian military or with Earth's government. It's not like they knew how to bypass a satellite signal without alerting the whole planet. They'd figure out a way to talk to Charley again some day…

As usual, Vinnie stiffened and turned his face away when Charley's name was mentioned, his expression unreadable. Throttle sighed and shook his head, absently rubbing the bridge of his nose just under his specs. No forcing Vinnie to admit anything he didn't want to; the male was notoriously stubborn about that sort of thing. Time to change the subject.

"So how's Copper doing?"

"She's…she's great," Modo said, not sure exactly how to break the news. "Working at the bar mosta th' time. She's got a new implant in her ear, she barely has to read lips anymore."

"How'd she react when she saw ya?" Throttle grinned. "Knowing her, you probably have a new scar to show for it."

Modo grinned back and tilted his chin up to show a still-healing patch of skin right under his jaw. "Her and Alloy got me in the same spot." Throttle laughed.

"They were always good like that…"

"Yah…" Modo glanced at Vinnie, who was being unusually quiet. Vinnie was staring off into the distance, leaning back against Sweetheart with his arms crossed in front of his chest. The male looked very…sad. Like something was missing. Modo sighed, his ears drooping a little. No use hiding it from them. And Vinnie looked like he needed the distraction.

"Copper has a daughter."

Vinnie fell over, landing with a thud on his side. Throttle blinked, hiding his surprise behind his field specs. "W-whoa, bro," Vinnie sputtered, sitting up so he wasn't completely wallowing in dust. "Is it yours?"

Modo nodded. "Yeah. Her name's Silver."

"How old is she?" Throttle asked after finding his voice.

"Five. Copper found out she was pregnant just before we left."

"Whoa, a baby" Vinnie said like it was the most unusual, surprising thing he had ever heard. "So she's had your kid this whole time? And she didn't tell you?"

"I'm sure it's more complicated than that, Vincent," Throttle said.

"She thought I left her," Modo said quietly, not seeing Throttle and Vinnie's startled looks.

"No way, bro," Vinnie said.

"You'da never left your kid if you'd know," Throttle said.

"I guess…" Modo growled and rubbed his head, trying to think of the words. He wasn't really good at talking about his own feelings, especially when he had so many to sort through. "I was scared, ya know? I kept thinking maybe she'd moved on, found someone better, somebody…" he sighed and unconsciously flexed his robotic hand. "Whole."

"Nah, no way bro," Throttle protested. "Copper girl was crazy about you, everybody knew it."

"She never even looked my way," Vinnie said. "And that's just weird."

Throttle rolled his eyes at Vinnie. "Obviously she has better taste, right big guy?"

"I guess," Modo said with a sheepish grin. "Seriously, bros, despite the fear I'm just…happy. This is probably the happiest I've been in a long-ass time. And I love my girls. It's like coming home every time I see them."

Throttle grinned and clapped his bro on the shoulder. "Good for you, Modo."

"We should celebrate!" Vinnie said. "Let's go out tonight!" He looked slyly in Modo's direction. "How's Redrock this time of year?"

Modo glared at his bro. "Oh no, Vincent. No. No, no, no-"

* * *

"No, Alloy! I'm not talking about it."

"Aww, come on, sis," Alloy whined, leaning towards Copper with his elbows on the bar. His black hair was loose around his shoulders and he wore a white shirt that showed off his muscular shoulders and chest. His pants were equally tight and made from black denim. Yana was coming to the bar tonight and he wanted to look good for her. But for now he would amuse himself with teasing his sister. "I remember how you two used to be. Was it worth the wait?"

"Damn you three ways from next week, Alloy," Copper hissed, blushing hard under her fur and thankful no one else was in the bar yet. "That is none of your business! Not that anything happened anyway…" she muttered under her breath. Modo and her had cuddled, talked, and made out for a good portion of the night, but never once did he try anything more. She could sense he wanted her, could feel the evidence of his arousal. But the stubborn male hadn't made love to her like she'd wanted him to, saying it was too soon and they might wake up Silver, Alloy, or both. Fucking hell, the male was either a complete idiot or he had way, way too much honor.

But that was one of the things she loved about Modo. He was different from all the other males she had ever been with; he treated women with respect. Children loved him. He didn't drink excessively, he didn't waste money: the only fault she could think of was loving his bike too much. And since she was guilty of the same fault, she couldn't really make a big deal out of it. She sighed and finished cleaning off the glasses in preparation for the coming night. Once a month the Silver Star hosted a music and dance night, trying to help the biker population get back to their normal routines now that the war was over. The local band was good and played mostly Earth rock with some other songs mixed in for variety. Copper smiled to herself, hoping Modo would show up on time. She had a surprise for him…

The door flew open and a breathless Lani ran into the room, her black curls tangled around her ears and falling into her eyes. Her blue eyes searched the room and she gulped when she saw the twins standing at the bar. "Sorry I'm late, Copper ma'am and Mister Alloy." Copper sighed and pushed her hair away from her face, fighting the irritation. As often as she had told Lani to stop calling them mister and ma'am, the multi-colored mouse was still stuck in her ways, probably because of the priestess training she had received before the invasion. The religious types were always overly polite.

"You're right on time, Lani," Alloy said with a grin. "Relax, we're not even opening for half an hour."

Lani worried her bottom lip between her teeth and Alloy's eyes almost popped out of his head. While not as pretty as Yana, Lani's unique brown-and-white patterned fur and startling blue eyes made males give her a second look. Her ears and the fur around her eyes was a medium brown but her muzzle was white, as was her throat and belly. Her arms and legs were also brown but her hands and feet were white. She was a curvy female, not exactly fat but not as thin as most Martian females were. When she had started working for the twins a few months before Alloy had been charmed by her looks and shy nature. At the time, he had also just met Yana and maybe he had been thinking more with his lower head than his upper one; Yana was considered the most beautiful female this side of Mars. But he didn't believe in pursing two females at the same time and he had decided on Yana. So until she dumped him or they decided to break up, he was going to pursue the beautiful but cold female. In contrast, Lani had become all smiles and laughter once she had gotten over her initial shyness. Maybe he had made a wrong choice…maybe…

"Thank you, Mister Alloy," Lani said quietly, ignoring Copper looking from Alloy to Lani like she hoped something was going on between the two of them. Mister Alloy had a female already and it made her nervous every time Copper ma'am looked at them like that. She shoved her bag behind the bar and tried to straighten out her hair, wincing as she pulled on a particularly vicious snarl. She'd had to get a ride from her friend since her three-wheeler was in the shop. Her friend drove like the proverbial bat from hell. The wind was just murder on her curls…

"Lani, why don't you go upstairs and comb your hair out?" Alloy said kindly. "Relax a little before the rush gets here."

Lani smiled shyly at him and nodded. "Thank you, I will." She smiled at Copper then went upstairs, closing the door to the stairs quietly behind her. Alloy followed her with her eyes, unaware of the small smile tilting up his lips. He looked over at his sister, losing the smile when he saw the smug grin on her face. "What?"

"You're so into her," Copper chuckled. Alloy growled and feigned a punch at Copper, who laughed and danced away from the blow.

"You wish, brat. Don't forget I already have a girl."

"What, that frosty bitch? Any colder and she may as well be a block of ice."

"Haha," Alloy grumbled. "She'd warm up if you'd be nice to her."

"Uh huh, sure," Copper drawled. Her next comment was interrupted by the arrival of the band. She grinned and waved at the guys as they set up their instruments. They nodded in her direction but were mainly focused on setting up for their performance. Alloy went to help, grateful for the chance to get away from Copper's teasing. She could be quite relentless if she wanted to be.

The band finished their warm up just as the first customers trickled in. Copper was distracted, eyes constantly flicking toward the door in hopes of seeing a tall shape appear. Alloy smirked as she dropped her third glass of the night, this time on some rat's head. She apologized sweetly enough the rat thought he had a chance. Obviously new, the brown-pelted rat grinned in a manner meant to be friendly but, since he had a mouth full of sharp teeth, the effect was more malicious. Copper grinned back, inwardly cheering yet disgusted: she loved it when rats were this stupid. It just made her night.

She leaned toward the male on the pretense of getting him a napkin to wipe off the alcohol. As expected, the rat leered and looked down her charcoal grey halter-top. Copper gasped in pretend shock and slapped the rat's ugly face. "How dare you!"

The rat gasped and sputtered, his blood red eyes narrowing in anger. "You bitch!" he growled, rising out of his seat. Some of the regular patrons grinned and backed away; they knew what was coming. The others just stared at the scene while the band started playing Aerosmith's Same Old Song and Dance.

The rat took a step toward Copper, his arm raised to backhand her across the face. Copper ducked and came up under the rat, smacking him right across the face with the tray she carried. The rat staggered and she kneed him between the legs as he fell. The patrons cheered as the rat hit the floor. She smiled and bowed to her audience, her long hair falling in front of her face. She winked at the groaning rat and walked away, unaware the rat was rising to his feet with murder in his eyes.

Before anyone could shout a warning, a mechanical arm shot out and grabbed the rat's shoulder. Turning him around, Modo looked down at the rat with a glowing red eye. "And what are ya plannin' on doing t' my girl, ya rat?" he growled, letting all the anger and hatred he felt towards rats ooze out of every word. The rat, like all his kind, started groveling at the first sight of what he deemed real danger. Without another word, Modo lifted the rat by the scruff of his neck and threw him out the door to the applause of the bar patrons.

Dusting off his hands, Modo came face to face with a smiling Copper. "Good job, baby," she purred, her warm brown eyes meeting his garnet one. "I love it when a man takes out the garbage."

"Ya just love to make me sweat, don't you?" Modo muttered with a grin. "Ya can't just let things be, can ya?"

"Nope," she said cheerfully. "And why give up the chance to ruin your blood pressure?"

Modo chuckled and pulled Copper to him, hugging her firmly while the rest of the bar watched. He grinned and placed a small kiss on Copper's lips, ignoring the disappointed moans some of the other males. He broke the kiss reluctantly, but with so many mice watching it wasn't polite to continue. "How's Silver?"

"She's fine, she's with the next door neighbor." The sound of motorcycle engines made Copper pause. There was a distinctive rumble to one of the engines that she recognized. She looked wide-eyed up at Modo. "Oh no. Please tell me they're not here."

Modo cringed as the door was flung open and Throttle and Vinnie came into the bar. "Couldn't stop them, darlin'."

"Heeeey, Copper girl!" Vinne cried, pulling Copper away from Modo and sweeping her into a tight hug. "How are you, pretty lady?" He held Copper at arm's length, obviously checking her out. "Aawoohoo, I'd say you're looking pretty good there, sweetheart."

"Vinnie," Copper said, not so gently taking his wrist and bending it away from her. "We've talked about this. I'm not your sweetheart, I'm not your spitfire, I'm not your anything. And if you continue to refer to me as such, I will break you, starting with the head you keep in your pants." She smiled sweetly. "Understand?"

"Y-yeah, sure thing," Vinnie sputtered, trying to break away from her grip on his wrist. It felt like she was trying to snap the bones just by using the force of her fingers. "I'll be good."

"Excellent," Copper said. "I'd hate to have to hurt you, Vinnie. Hey Throttle, how are you?"

"Just fine, Copper girl," Throttle chuckled. It was such a thrill to see Vinnie held in a death grip by a female almost a third his size. "Carbine sends her regards and says to come visit."

"I will," Copper smiled at Throttle. At least the tan mouse was respectful and never tried to hit on her. She hated it when males hit on her when they knew she was already attached. Giving Vinnie's wrist one last painful squeeze that made the white mouse whimper, she winked at Modo and picked up her tray, having dropped it at one point during her scuffle with Vinnie. "Make yourself comfortable, boys. But trash my place without permission and I trash you, ok?"

"Ok, Copper darlin'," Modo said, smiling at her. She smiled back and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before going back to work, an extra swish in her light blue denim-clad hips now that she knew Modo was watching. Vinnie watched Copper's walk with a rueful shake of his head. Shame she'd never been attracted to him.

Throttle, Vinnie and Modo took seats at the bar and exchanged greetings with a smiling Alloy. They had a nice conversation reminiscing about their days in the Resistance while Alloy mixed drinks and gave them to either Copper or Lani to be served to customers at the tables. Every time Copper walked by she brushed against Modo, sending little electric shocks through his fur to his skin. Soon he was tingling and wondering how much longer her shift was. Almost an hour after he had arrived Copper nuzzled his neck and set down her tray. "Got a surprise for you, baby." Before he could ask what the surprise was she was gone, sending him a smoldering look over her shoulder as she made her way to the stage. Briefly speaking to the musicians, she took the place of the male singer.

"Goddess," Alloy breathed, drawing the bro's attention to him instead of his sister. "She's going to sing."

"Doesn't happen often?" Throttle asked.

Alloy shook his head in response. "She hasn't sung in public since Dad's funeral. She sang his burial chant."

Modo's eye widened. The burial chant was usually sung by professionals since it had such a variety of complicated ranges, tones and melodies. He had not known that Copper could sing like that.

"How we all doing tonight?" Copper said into the microphone. The patrons whooped and hollered. Copper smiled at them all, her eyes a little wide as she took them in. if she had no fur, her cheeks would have been pale. She hadn't realized there were so many males in the bar. "Got a little treat for y'all," she continued, fighting to keep her voice even. Just breathe, they wouldn't eat here, and this would mean a lot to Modo. "Gonna sing a song for ya, dedicated to my very own hunk of burning love." Now it was Modo's turn to blush as every head turned to look at him, some of those looks not too friendly.

Copper nodded to the guitarist who let out a string of beautiful notes that managed to sound mournful but hopeful at the same time. Copper took a deep breath and, at the right moment, began singing.

_So close, no matter how far _

_Couldn't be much more from the heart _

_Forever trusting who we are _

_And nothing else matters_

_Never opened myself this way _

_Life is ours, we live it our way _

_All these words I don't just say _

_And nothing else matters_

_Trust I seek and I find in you _

_Every day for us something new _

_Open mind for a different view _

_And nothing else matters _

Copper's eyes sought out Modo's and found them, locking on to the familiar garnet red shade. Right then, there was no one else in the bar. Her nervousness disappeared and she smiled, letting all her feelings pour out to Modo through a song they had shared when they were first together.

_Never cared for what they do _

_Never cared for what they know _

_But I know_

_So close, no matter how far _

_Couldn't be much more from the heart _

_Forever trusting who we are _

_And nothing else matters_

_Never cared for what they do _

_Never cared for what they know _

_But I know _

Modo stared at Copper, his jaw almost hanging open as he watched her sing. While the song was originally written for a male voice, Copper's husky low contralto was perfect. He had no idea she could sing like this. Every individual in the bar was captivated by her; no one could look away. One male had even spilled his drink and was letting it drip into his lap, not even noticing it was creating a mess on his pants.

_Never opened myself this way _

_Life is ours, we live it our way _

_All these words I don't just say_

_Trust I seek and I find in you _

_Every day for us, something new _

_Open mind for a different view _

_And nothing else matters_

_Never cared for what they say _

_Never cared for games they play _

_Never cared for what they do _

_Never cared for what they know_

_And I know_

_So close, no matter how far _

_Couldn't be much more from the heart _

_Forever trusting who we are _

_No, nothing else matters_

Copper closed her eyes as she sang the last note, opening them once the music died away. The bar patrons were silently staring at her, including the musicians who had just played for her. Then, like a spell had been broken, they began to applaud so loudly dust was shaken from the rafters. She couldn't hear the thunderous applause from her audience, couldn't see anyone else but Modo. His expression was so open, so loving it made her feel weak at the knees. Like he was in a trance, Modo made his way to the stage area and, in front of everyone, grabbed Copper up and kissed her deeply. Many of the patrons whooped and hollered, Vinnie and Throttle being the loudest ones. Copper smiled against Modo's lips and kissed him back just had hard as he was kissing her, her tail twisting around his and her arms clutching his shoulders.

They pulled away reluctantly, Copper shyly ducking her face when the cheers got raunchier. Modo chuckled and nuzzled her ear, whispering a soft I love you he hoped she could hear. When she smiled up at him, he knew she had heard. She kissed him again before reluctantly pulling away.

"Well, that was sweet," a sweetly sharp voice said from a few feet behind Modo, loudly enough so it was heard over the still cheering crown. Modo spun around, completely breaking away from Copper, his heart clenching painfully in his chest. He knew that voice.

"Yana…"


	9. Chapter 8

Hi everyone! It's been awhile but I'm going to really try and update more now that I live alone and no longer have to deal with stupid roommates. And this is a shorter chapter than normal but it's more of a transition.

Please review! Thank you in advance for reviews, they seriously make my day. I do allow anonymous reviews

**DISCLAIMER TIME!** I don't own the bros, sadfaces abound. Please don't sue me, I'm poor. And please don't use any of my characters (Copper, Silver, Alloy, Lani, etc) without permission.

Chapter 8

"Modo, dearest, it's been too long," Yana purred, her topaz-brown eyes narrowing coldly in contrast with her warm tone as she looked at Copper and Modo. The cream-colored female sounded sweet, but her eyes were as cold as Modo remembered. Yana looked exactly like she had six years ago, like the war had never touched her. Her pale blonde hair hung straight around her ears, framing a face that was considered Martian perfection. Her snout was short and delicately formed, her cheekbones high and her jaw straight. Her ears were rounded curves, her earrings topaz studs that brought out the light golden color of her eyes.

She was perfectly formed from the crown of her head to the tips of her tail; curved in the right places, flat in the right places, she had all the males in the bar staring at her with wonder. Vinnie looked like he had gotten a present from the heavens and Throttle had swallowed and looked away, filling his mind with thoughts of Carbine. Copper was looking from her brother, who was standing behind the bar with his teeth and fists clenched, to Modo, who looked like someone had struck him on the back of the head, and Yana, who was now smiling at Copper. Copper growled under her breath, sending a glare at Yana; she had no idea what was going on but the way Yana was smugly smiling made her want to punch something. Preferably Yana's smiling face.

"Your song was just darling, Copper dear," Yana said. "So nice to know you have other talents besides mixing drinks and hitting things." She chuckled softly and glanced at Modo. "She's such a violent girl."

Copper felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment and anger. Yana had never been this rude to her before, always skirting the line between snide and casual. And talking about her like she wasn't standing right there! "Excuse me?" she growled, grinding her teeth in agitation.

"I was so worried for you, Copper dear. I'd hoped you wouldn't have only those mediocre talents," Yana replied. Ignoring Copper, she went up to Modo, gently placing a hand on his metal arm. "Oh, Modo dearest, I'm so sorry! When I heard this had happened to you I couldn't help but worry!"

"Yeah, ya worried so much ya found yer way right back to my side," Modo growled, finally finding his voice. Gently, he pushed Yana's hand off his arm. "What d'ya want, Yana?"

"I just wanted to say hello to you, dearest," Yana said. Dropping her voice so only Modo could hear, she whispered "And to remind you of the wonderful times we had." Modo drew back, fighting the blush he could feel warming his cheeks. Yeah, those had been some wonderful times before she had decided to ditch him for someone with a prettier face.

Copper frowned at the look that passed between Modo and Yana. Her dislike for the cream-colored female was growing by the second. "I'm sorry, you two know each other?"

Yana laughed, the musical sound making every male not looking in their direction turn his head. "Oh yes, Modo and I knew each other years ago. He was such a darling boy, so strong and…virile."

Copper's vision started going red. She resisted the urge to reach over and slap Yana across her smiling face. Yes, she knew Modo had had other lovers besides her. Yes, she had had a few herself. But the fact Yana was shoving the fact they had into her face like that stung. She glanced at Modo, hoping to see some reassurance from him. He just blushed hard and couldn't look Copper in the face. Copper flinched; that almost hurt more than Yana's words. Murmuring a quick excuse, she hurried up the back stairs to her sanctuary, Modo hot on her heels.

Alloy wove his way through the crowd, a rare frown on his face. "Yana, babe, what's going on?"

"I don't know," Yana said with a pout. "We were just catching up when Copper started acting so oddly then stormed off."

Alloy sighed and pushed his hair out of his face. "I'll talk to her later, I guess." Taking Yana in his arms, he brushed a kiss on the top of her head. "How ya doing, babe?"

"I'm perfect," she purred, eyeing the way Alloy's chest looked in his tight white shirt. While he lacked Modo's size, Alloy was just as defined as the older mouse. With a sigh, she nestled against Alloy, seemingly oblivious to the jealous looks the other males were shooting at Alloy.

"Aww man," Vinnie whined, turning away and leaning his elbows against the bar and propping his chin in his hands. "There is a severe lack of available babes in this bar."

"What happened to Kas?" Throttle asked dryly, taking a sip of his drink.

"She knows the score, bro," Vinnie said with a smirk. "She's aware of what a stud I am."

"Vincent, you got a problem," Throttle said. "What you're doing ain't right, leading all these females on."

"It ain't for you to judge what I do," Vinnie replied sharply. "You ain't my mom or my pop. Just leave it alone, man."

Throttle shrugged. "Whatever, bro. Your life."

"Yeah…my life." Vinnie sighed and stared at the surface of the bar. How remarkable that it was the same reddish-brown shade as a certain mechanic's hair…Vinnie buried the thought as quickly as it came up. Thinking about her hurt too much. There were other babes to fry, so to speak. And it was very unlikely he would ever see Charlie again. Travel to Earth was prohibited due to a lack of space craft and they couldn't leave her a communicator: if anyone found alien technology on Charlie she may get into serious trouble with Earth government. Vinnie didn't want that to happen. Best to keep his silence and move on with his life as surely as she was moving on with hers now that the mice were gone.

* * *

"Copper darlin', wait a second!" Modo said, reaching out to grab her wrist as she got to the top of the stairs.

"I'm _fine_," Copper hissed. "Go back to the bar, I'll be back in a second."

Modo frowned and tightened his grip on her wrist, gently tugging her arm to make her look in his direction. She had an angry flush across her cheeks visible even through her red fur. Dark circles under her eyes made her look worn and tired. She trembled from holding back her hurt, her fists clenched by her sides. Modo sighed and pulled her to him, gently nuzzling her ear. "She doesn't mean anything to me, darlin'. She left me long before we even met."

"I know," she muttered against his chest. "She just…frustrates me so much. She's such an evil bitch around everyone but Alloy and he's being all kinds of stupid about her."

"I know what that's like," Modo said. "She twists males around her fingers and we're all too dense to catch on until the last minute."

"That's because y'all think with your lower head first, upper head second," Copper smiled and playfully kissed Modo's collarbone. She wasn't wearing any shoes with heel so it was the only part of him she could reach.

Modo flushed and pressed his face into her hair, taking a deep breath as he nuzzled her ear. "That ain't completely true. I think with my heart, too."

"Yes you do. You're my big, fluffy heart-behemoth, aren't you?" Copper smirked and tilted her head up to nuzzle his chin. Modo blushed harder and gently tweaked her hair. She sighed happily and tucked herself firmer against his warmth, her tail finding Modo's and twisting around it. They held each other in comfortable silence for long minutes, the only distraction the bass of the music coming from the lower floor.

Modo felt Copper fade away, her body going lax as she started to fall asleep. "Long day, darlin'?"

"Yeah…" she murmured. "Silver woke me up at the crack of dawn by singing a song YOU taught her." She glared tiredly up at Modo. "'Do your ears hang low'? What the fuck kind of song is that?"

"It's a popular children's song on Earth," Modo replied. "I thought it was cute."

"It is, just not when the sun hasn't even come up yet." Modo chuckled and gently kissed Copper.

"I'm sorry, darlin'."

"You didn't know she would do that," Copper murmured. "Nothing to be sorry for…" her words were soft and whispery; she was almost asleep on her feet. Modo looked around and saw a bed through the open door to the other room. He picked her up, cradling her against his chest. She was so light in his arms-it was almost easy to forget she could probably whip the tail of almost anyone she came up against. She stirred slightly at the change in position and looked up at him with her beautiful brown eyes. "Modo?"

"Hush, darlin'," he said. "Jus' gonna get you to bed before ya pass out."

"But I gotta work," she protested, struggling a little in his grip. "The night's not over yet, Alloy-"

"Can handle things on his own," Modo said, carrying her into what looked like a spare bedroom. The furniture was sparse but the bed looked almost new. He gently laid her on top of the blankets then bent over to take off her shoes. She tried protesting again but he silenced her by rubbing the arch of her foot. Foot rubs had always been a surefire way to get Copper to relax. She sighed happily and lay back against the pillows, her eyes closing again. Modo grinned and pulled off her other shoe, setting them both on the side of the bed. He made to move off the bed but Copper grabbed onto his pants. "Don't go."

"I'll be right back," he said. "I'm just gonna tell Alloy yer too tired to finish the night."

"Will you come back?" She had such a hopeful expression Modo couldn't say no.

"Yeah, I'll be back in a few minutes." He brushed a kiss to her forehead before going back down the stairs into the main bar area. Alloy was back behind the bar and Yana had taken the seat Vinnie had been in. Vinnie was nowhere to be seen but Throttle had moved down to the opposite end of the bar and was sipping on a glass of some green liquid. Trying his hardest not to look at Yana (who was fixing Alloy with a look Modo recognized as nothing good), Modo took a seat next to his bro. "Hey Throttle. What happened to Vincent?"

"Went outside to check on the bikes," Throttle said, taking another sip of his drink. Modo took a curious sniff; it was juice from the keva plant. "Your old flame got him all hot under the collar."

"She ain't anything to me," Modo growled. "I wouldn't care if I never saw her again."

Throttle regarded his bro over his field specs, arching an eyebrow in disbelief. "I think that's the meanest thing I've ever heard you say about a lady."

"She ain't no lady." Throttle laughed at that, drawing Alloy and Yana's attention to them. Alloy said something to Yana and came over to the bros, asking them if there was anything else they needed.

"Just wanted to let you know Copper's about to pass out, she didn't get any sleep last night," Modo said. "You can handle the rest of the night on your own, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." Alloy bit his lower lip and cast a glance in Yana's direction. "Look, I don't know what happened earlier," he said quietly, "But I'm sure it'll work itself out. Yana's really a nice girl, for some reason she just grates Copper the wrong way."

Modo frowned, leaning back from the bar. "Alloy, you have no idea what that female is actually like. Now it ain't my business to tell ya who to keep company with, but she's nothing like she makes herself out to be." He got up from the bar, ignoring Alloy's perplexed expression. "Throttle, you and Vinnie can head off without me. I'm staying here for the night."

"Ok," Throttle said. "Send us a line when you're heading back."

"Sure thing. Night Alloy." Without even glancing at Yana or any of the other patrons, he went back up the stairs, locking the door behind him, effectively closing off the sounds of the bar from the upstairs.

Copper was curled up on her side under the blankets with her hands tucked under the pillow. Her lips were slightly parted, her breathing soft and even. Modo smiled at the childlike image she made. Quietly, he took off his chest piece and boots, putting them both on the chair in the corner. Lifting up the blankets, he crawled into bed next to Copper, curving his large form around hers from behind. She stirred slightly in her sleep, fitting herself more tightly against him. He sighed softly and slung an arm over her. He held her tight, content with just feeling her breathe. He had missed this so much when he was stuck on Earth. Now he was back and wanted to absorb every second, every feeling as he held her against his body, her hand and tail twined around his, the way her hair felt against his cheek. This was heaven. This was his home, right here next to his female.

He must have drifted off because the next thing he knew Copper was nuzzling the base of his throat. She had turned to face him, her leg now slung over his hip and holding him tight against her. Half asleep, he groaned and bent his head to kiss her. Her tongue reached out to meet his, her arms twisting around his neck. He kissed her fiercely, rubbing his growing hardness against the heat between her legs. Copper moaned and traced the muscles of Modo's back, her nails combing through his fur and making Modo tingle. He buried his fingers in her hair, tilting her head to get the best angle to kiss her. This was a perfect way to wake up, he mused as his tongue brushed against her buckteeth. His brain was slowly coming out of sleep and realizing what was happening. He hesitated, drawing back slightly. Copper followed, keeping close to him.

"Modo," Copper groaned against his lips, "Please don't stop."

"Darlin', I don't wanna rush you," he said.

"Dammit Modo, we've waited five years. I don't think we can get less rushed than that." She smiled and kissed him again, softer this time. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too," he whispered. "I just…"

"Shh…" she whispered, putting a finger against his lips. She grinned and shifted so she was on top of her. Reaching behind her, she undid the snap of her breast band, leaving her exposed to Modo's now eager eyes. "Stop talking."

"Oh mama…"

* * *

Hours later, Modo sat with his back against the headboard in his boxers, Copper between his legs with a plate on her lap. Copper was wearing only her panties and her charcoal halter-top. She had gone down to the bar after recovering from their lovemaking in search of some sustenance. She had found keva juice behind the bar and some dried fruit in her bag. Modo had provided some nuts he kept in the bag on his bike in case of an emergency. Altogether, it was a sweet and simple snack. Copper grinned and held a piece of dried fruit to Modo's lips. He smiled back and took the fruit in his mouth, 'accidentally' licking the tips of her fingers with his tongue. Copper shivered in response, remembering how his tongue had felt against another place on her body. Modo smirked and nuzzled his female's ear. "I missed this."

"What, the sex or me feeding you?" she asked with a smile.

"Both. I always did like your cooking." He frowned slightly and asked "But I didn't hurt ya, did I?"

Copper shook her head and got onto her knees to give him a kiss, the tip of her tail wrapping around his and rubbing in a soothing manner. "I wanted you, it didn't matter that I haven't had any in five years." She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. Modo smiled and kissed her again, unable to get enough now that he had tasted her again. Copper laughed and playfully rubbed her nose against his. She was ecstatic about the way things were turning out in her life. Her lover was back (and better than ever, in her modest opinion), her family was healthy and happy, her business was earning more money than it ever had when her father had owned it, and the planet was no longer under attack.

What could go wrong?

* * *

Yana growled and threw her bag across the room, getting little satisfaction from the smacking noise the shirt made against the wall. Modo had not been on her mind for years but he had had the _audacity_ to forget about her. He had the _nerve_ to find another female, and not even an attractive female at that. He had belonged to her once, so by rights he should have pined for her for the rest of his life. She was Yana Glassgreen, the most beautiful, the most charming, the best female on the planet. No one had ever moved on from her before. They might have had meaningless flings but they always hoped she would come back to them. But now Modo Maverick, who was gorgeous in a muscular and rugged way but still one of the less attractive males she had ever been with, had completely moved on. He had hardly looked at her, even when he was talking to Alloy about her.

Yana bit back a scream, her frustration mounting. This had never happened to her and she had no idea how to react. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed back her hair and unlocked the case where she kept her deep space communicator. She had work to do; she and her employer were scheduled to talk. Right on schedule, the screen flickered to life, the shape as always half-hidden in the shadows. The figure was huge, with shoulders broader than Modo's and arms as thick as Yana's waist. His voice was gravely and deep, and his eyes were a glowing gold in the shadows. "Miss Glassgreen."

"Mister C. How goes your end of the plan?"

"Proceeding as intended. And you? Are you keeping your end of the bargain?"

"I am finding it more difficult to get into Resistance headquarters than expected. Now that the Plutarkians have left, only essential personnel are allowed near the Regenerator at any time for security. I may have an in with the male I'm seeing now; he is close to Stoker and may help me meet him."

"Excellent. Keep up with this male, keep him close."

"I may have hit one small snag. The sister of the male is striving against me, as is her lover." Yana flushed prettily, the tips of her ears turning a faint pink. "Her lover and I were once intimate. Both of them may upset my plans."

"Under no circumstance are you allowed to let that happen," Mister C growled. "It is imperative we have a way to get to the Regenerator. If you are not up to the task, we shall have to find another spy and you will see no money from us."

"That will not be necessary," Yana purred, her lips pulling up into a sadistic smile. "I will take care of both of them before you reach Mars."

* * *


	10. Chapter 9

Well school's back in session. Last year of college and then I join the real world, woohoo!It'll be a busy year so updates may be slower than usual. Hope you guys like the chapter. =D

Thanks to everyone who has read so far. If you haven't reviewed, please do. Reviews make me a happy camper =)

**DISCLAIMER TIME!** I don't own the bros, sadfaces abound. Please don't sue me, I'm poor. And please don't use any of my characters (Copper, Silver, Alloy, Lani, etc) without permission.

* * *

Modo hummed to himself as he guided Li'l Hoss down the worn road towards his mama's house. Though his bike already knew the way, he drove her with practiced ease, skirting around potholes and loose gravel in the road. He grinned softly when he felt the arms wrapped around his middle tighten as the bike came to a stop in front of a grey stone cave dwelling. Removing his helmet, he checked out the front yard, nodding in approval at the trim rock beds with small clumps of grass growing in between. His mama had never liked an untidy space, especially right out front where it would be the first thing any guest would see. Setting his helmet on the bike's seat, he held out a hand to Copper, helping her off the bike. She had ridden side-saddle behind him the whole way from Redrock with her hair tucked under her helmet to keep it neat. Now she removed the helmet, shaking out the burgundy waves of her hair so they fell straight down to her hips.

"This is, possibly, the worst idea I have ever had," Copper muttered as she carefully got off of Modo's bike. She shook out her loose, ankle-length skirt so it fell properly around her legs. She had wanted to look nice for Modo's mama but it was impossible to ride her bike in a long skirt. The navy material was thin enough to wear in the desert but still modest for the mission she had undertaken. After the skirt was arranged to her liking, she went after the cream-colored top, adjusting the neckline so it concealed her cleavage and making sure the straps holding it around her neck were secure. Her gold bracelets jangled as she fidgeted, as did the charms on the end of her long necklace.

Modo smiled at her anxious gestures. She really was sweet when she let her defenses down and allowed herself to be nervous. He gently took her hands in his metal one and tilted her chin up with the other. He smiled reassuringly at her. "I doubt this is the worst idea you've had," he said. "And it's just my mama."

"Exactly!" Copper hissed. "Your mama. Who knows nothing about me. Who knows nothing about our daughter. Who may hate me for keeping Silver away from you and your family."

"Mama will understand. And she wouldn't hate the female who gives me so much happiness." He gently kissed her brow. "She's been askin' to meet you for months now."

"What about Silver?" Copper worried her bottom lip between her teeth. "Does she know about her?"

"Not yet," Modo said. "I wasn't sure how to tell her."

"Thanks," Copper said dryly. "Appreciate that, baby."

"Any time, darlin'." He smiled and gave her a reassuring hug. "But we'll do it together."

"Yeah...." She smiled nervously back at him. "You really think she'll like me?"

"Ah don't see why she wouldn't, unless she thinks yer trouble…" he quirked a brow at her. "Yer not armed, are ya?"

"Just one little gun, I promise. If this goes well, I may let you find out where I keep it."

"Oh mama…" Modo groaned, bending his head for a quick kiss. It had only been a few months since they had gotten back together but they were stronger than ever as a couple. Modo was spending every day with Copper and Silver but he went to his own place in Resistance headquarters to sleep. Copper was still unsure about having him spend the night in her home (she thought the bar did not count as it had not been her home for years). Modo had wanted to move his things in as soon as he and Copper had reconciled, more than willing to begin acting like a family. Again, Copper demurred, saying it was too soon and she did not want to give Silver the wrong idea. The situation had led to a few arguments and one whole-day silence. Their mutual stubbornness caused them occasional conflict but they were trying not to let it get in their way. After being apart for five years, every moment was precious.

A soft "ahem" broke Modo and Copper apart, though Modo held on to Copper's hand. A grey-furred female stood in the now-open front door. She appeared a few years older than Modo with lighter-grey streaks going through her chin-length grey hair. Her dark garnet eyes were warm, as was the smile on her slightly thin face. "Am I interrupting?"

"Nah, we were just about to knock." Modo grinned and swept his sister into a one-armed hug. "How are ya, Ratch?"

"I'm fine." Ratchet Goodbyrne, nee Maverick's smile widened as she took in Copper from head to toe. Copper felt herself blush, grateful she had taken the time to dress in something besides her leathers or jeans. Modo's sister, while outwardly warm, was examining Copper with obvious and disconcerting interest. Copper wasn't used to that level of scrutiny from another female. "You must be Copper Van Speed. Nice to finally meet you."

"Good to meet you too." Copper tried to smile and relax but found it difficult; while Ratchet was a good half a foot shorter than Modo, she was still taller than Copper and had a wiry build that probably hid her true strength. Copper noted well-developed arms being shown off by Ratchet's tank top and long legs encased in light blue denims. "Modo's talked about you a lot."

"Same to you." Ratchet's smile widened and she reached out and gave Copper a hug. Copper stiffened for a second before relaxing and hugging the female back. Ratchet pulled away with a laugh. "Sorry, Modo's said so much about you I feel like we're already friends. Hope you don't mind, I get a little touchy."

"It's ok," Copper said, finally smiling back for real. Ratchet reminded Copper of Silver. They had the same smile. "I don't mind."

"I didn't know you were coming, sis," Modo said, taking the opportunity to get a word in before his sister started talking her head off trying to get to know Copper. "The kids here too?"

"Yep, Mama invited us over to meet your ladyfriend." She was about to say something else when a female voice echoed out from the back of the house.

"Ratchet honey, why ya leaving the door open like that? Get back in here and bring those two with you."

"Mama calls," Modo said, gently pushing Copper into the dwelling, Ratchet following behind. The cave home was much bigger than Copper's with a large living room and dining area. The kitchen was behind a natural window of rock that partitioned the large room into sections. The furniture and decorations were tasteful but not boring. Copper looked around curiously; she had never been in such a large home before. The carpet on the stone floor was soft and beige and the furniture was overstuffed and comfortable-looking. A bright splash of sunny yellow and crimson red caught her eye. She stepped deeper into the room to look at the little vase that sat on a table next to a sofa. "Oh my…"

"Lovely, isn't it?" A short female mouse, a few years past her prime, smiled at Copper from the arch leading into the kitchen, drying her hands on a dishtowel. She wore a long denim skirt and a blouse that was a deep purple color and her silvery hair was tied back into a bun at the nape of her neck. Small glasses perched on the edge of her nose and laugh lines were etched around her eyes and the sides of her mouth. She looked like a sweet old lady, and Copper hoped she really was as sweet as she looked.

"Yes, it is," Copper said. "Where did you find it?"

"At market a few years back. I saw it and it made me smile in such a low time I just had to buy it."

Copper motioned toward the vase. "May I?" At Mrs. Maverick's nod, she picked up the vase and turned it over, examining the bottom and smiling when she saw the familiar mark of a twilight flower. "My mother made this."

"Did she?" Mrs. Maverick said with a delighted laugh. "Well don't that beat all!"

"I'm glad one of her pieces made it to someone who obviously likes it." Copper held out a hand to Mrs. Maverick. "It's nice to finally meet you, ma'am."

"Oh, none of that now!" Mrs. Maverick said, pulling Copper into a tight hug. "My boy's been talking about you for years now, ever since he met you during the war. I'm just so happy to finally meet you!" Copper was surprised to see tears in the corners of Mrs. Maverick's eyes. "It's so wonderful that you survived. When Modo came back and didn't say a word about you I thought you had been lost in the fighting."

Modo saw Copper stiffen and he winced. He would probably be hearing about that later…

Copper continued to smile and nodded at appropriate points while Mrs. Maverick continued to chatter about random things. The older female was only interrupted by the sound of a motorcycle coming close. "Oh, that'll be the children with the mushrooms!" At Copper's confused look, she explained "I sent Rimfire and Primer out to market. I forgot to buy mushrooms for my stew."

The front door opened with a bang, showing two young mice with tan pelts and brown hair. The first one to come in was a male with a shocking orange stripe through his hair Copper recognized as a mostly grown-up Rimfire. The female behind him was close enough in looks to be his sister but lacked the bright stripe in her hair. As soon as they saw Modo, the girl shrieked and jumped at the Modo, who laughed and grabbed her into a tight hug.

"Uncle Modo!" the female (Primer, Copper assumed) cried, a wide smile splitting her features. She was a slim thing like her mother and shorter than her brother by a whole head. She had her hair cut close to her scalp; in the right clothes, she might have been able to pass as a male. "It's been such a long time!"

"Yeah it has," her brother agreed. He stood back a little, holding a small bag Copper assumed was filled with the requested mushrooms. He was almost as tall as Modo was now but still wasn't as broad. The last time Copper had seen him, he had been a little taller than her and still thin as adolescents tended to be. He smiled shyly at Copper, handing his grandmother the bag before holding out a hand to Copper. "It's nice to see you again, Copper ma'am."

Copper grinned back at him and gave him a quick hug, making the young male blush. "Nice to see you too, Rimfire. Look at you! You've grown up, I scarcely recognized you!" She winked at him. "You're getting to be as handsome as your uncle."

Rimfire blushed harder, his tan fur turning pinkish. Primer giggled and stepped forward, pulling Copper into a hug. "It's so great finally meet you, Copper ma'am," Primer chirped. "Uncle Modo's been so much more fun the last few months, always smiling."

"Has he now?" Copper drawled, catching Modo's blush just before he turned and went down the hall, presumably to use the bathroom.

"Yup, he's super happy," Primer said with a giggle. "Not that he wasn't always super chill before, but now that he's getting some on a regular basis he's so much more mellow, ya know?"

"Primer!" Ratchet said sharply, making her daughter's ears droop back in chagrin. "What have I told you about thinking before you say things that might be inappropriate?"

"Um, to do it?" Primer asked with a sheepish grin.

"Exactly," Ratchet said, gently pinching her daughter's ear. "Now use that brain I know you've got in there."

"Yes Mama," Primer said, glaring at her brother who was very obviously laughing at her. Rimfire looked away quickly, trying to look innocent. Copper couldn't help but smil, feeling more relaxed with a family who razzed each other like she and Alloy did. But usually Alloy would tease her and she would hit him until he stopped. She couldn't do that much anymore with Silver around. Once that girl saw something that made her laugh, she would keep doing it until she was punished. She had once smacked Alloy for an hour straight, giggling the whole time.

Silver entering her thoughts made Copper sober instantly. She had momentarily forgotten the purpose of coming. Slipping down the hall, she ran into Modo just as he came out of the bathroom. "Hey darlin'. What's up?"

"I don't know if I can do this," she whispered. "I'm scared, Modo. I want them to like me, what if this kills everything?"

Modo sighed and pulled Copper against him, nuzzling the top of her head. "Darlin', it'll be ok."

"I really want it to be," she whispered. "But so many things in my life haven't been ok. I just want something to go right for once."

Modo didn't speak, just held her tighter. It was so rare for Copper to talk about her past, to even mention the bad things that had happened before they met. He knew her mother had died when she was two, her father when she was twelve. Then she had been raised by an elderly mouse who had died in the first year of the war. That fierce protective urge rose back up in his chest, filling him until all he could feel was Copper and her heartbeat. Nothing else mattered or would matter, so long as he held her.

"Oh, here you guys are!"

They pulled away quickly but reluctantly. Primer smiled at them both, oblivious to having interrupted a tender moment. "Grandmama says dinner's almost ready so go sit."

"Be there in a second, Primer," Modo said. She nodded and actually skipped down the hall to the main part of the dwelling. Copper watched her with a bemused expression on her face.

"She's a happy little thing, isn't she?"

"Oh yeah," Modo chuckled. "Almost too happy sometimes." He kissed Copper's brow and took her hand, guiding her to the dining area.

Unsurprisingly, the food was delicious. Mama Maverick (as she had instead Copper start calling her) was an amazing cook and had made enough so both Modo and Rimfire could eat their fill. Her mushroom and vegetable stew was perfect; Copper had been surprised to learn Ratchet was also a vegetarian. Besides the stew, there were plenty of side dishes that Mama Maverick had made, including a meat pie for the boys. Copper made her promise to give her the recipe for her stuffed peppers. Rimfire and Primer almost got into a food fight over a comment Rimfire made about Primer's boyfriend and Mama Maverick was constantly asking Copper questions. How had she and Modo met again? And he really hadn't told her he was back on the planet? Well for shame, he knew better than that! Copper had to hide her smile when Mama Maverick actually reached out and smacked Modo upside the head. "Now don't you go upsetting this nice girl again, ya hear me?"

"Yes Mama," Modo muttered around a mouthful of meat pie.

Mrs. Maverick shook her head and gently took Copper's hand. "I'm so sorry about my boy, Copper dear. He usually isn't so much of a dummy, but for some reason he's absolutely stupid when it comes to females."

Copper smiled (she was doing that a lot recently). "It's fine, Mama Maverick. He's making up for it now."

Mama Maverick nodded in approval. "Good. I want more grandbabies."

Ratchet choked on a mushroom and glared at her mother. "Seriously Mama, do you have to be so blunt? No wonder Primer can't kick that habit."

"It's the truth, Ratchet," Mama Maverick said.

Copper winched and glanced at Modo, who smiled reassuringly. She swallowed and took a deep breath. "Mama Maverick-"

"Modo mentioned you owned a bar. That right?" Ratchet asked.

"Um, yeah, my brother and I own it together. It used to belong to our father."

"Oh really?" Mama Maverick said, delicately nibbling on a piece of pepper. "Where's your father at now?"

Copper sighed and looked down at her plate, fighting off the usual feeling of sadness. "He died when Alloy and I were twelve. Sand raiders got him during an attack on Redrock."

"Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry," Mama Maverick said, taking Copper's hand and squeezing gently. "And your mother?"

"She died when I was two. She got sick and she never got better."

"You had no one to take care of you? No other family?" Mama Maverick asked, holding tight to Copper's hand. Copper flushed when she saw Ratchet and her kids were also looking at her intently; they had even stopped eating to listen.

"We were sort of adopted by our neighbor, Master Varn. He found us living alone in our parent's place and took us in." Copper smiled, remembering the crotchety old mouse who had walked into their lives when things were starting to look really bad. He had been a fighting master in his youth and was had been living in comfortable retirement in a dwelling near the Van Speed family. He had been a surrogate grandfather to the twins until he had died of old age during the first year of the war.

"But no family?" Mama Maverick pressed.

"None that we wanted to talk too," Copper said. Mama Maverick nodded and gave Copper's hand a gentle squeeze.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," she said. "Families should stick together no matter what. Especially in these hard times."

"Yeah…" Copper swallowed and tried again. "Mama Maverick, I-"

"Oh for the love of all things good and right!" Ratchet cried. Primer winced and turned away as sauce ran down the length of the table; she had spilled her bowl of stew.

"Sorry Mama, Grandmama," she said.

"Well what about me?" Rimfire cried: most of the stew had ended up in his lap. "I have a date tonight!"

"I'm sorry!" Primer wailed, her ears flat against her skull. "It just slipped!" Rimfire got up and walked into the kitchen to clean himself off, muttering some choice curses as he went.

"Rimfire, watch your language in my house!" Mama Maverick said, getting up and following Rimfire to the kitchen, taking some empty bowls with her.

Copper turned and looked at Modo with a bemused smile on her face. "Well fuck me. Every time I try, something comes up."

"It's really kind of funny," he grinned. Leaning over, he nuzzled Copper's brow. "I'll try."

"Aww, ain't that sweet," Mama Maverick said as she came back into the room. "I'm so glad my baby's found someone like you, Copper girl. He's always deserved a nice girl."

"Thank you, Mama Maverick," Copper said. She looked pointedly at Modo, who nodded and took her hand.

"Mama, Ratchet, can we talk to you two for a second?"

"Why sure. Primer baby, you and Rimfire clean up, all right?"

"Grandmama!" Rimfire protested. "I have a date in half an hour!"

"Then I suppose you better get done quick," Mama Maverick said with a smile. Leaving Rimfire to protest in the kitchen, she led the way into a small sitting room. Modo and Copper sat on one of the small sofas, leaving Ratchet and Mama Maverick to take the other. Copper clung to Modo's hand like it was her only line to the world. He could feel her shaking now, she was so scared. She really wanted his family to accept her, and that made him feel happy. But her fear was making him anxious. He wanted to get this over with, if only so Copper would relax again.

"Mama, we got something we want to tell you," Modo said. He took a deep breath, squishing down his own nervousness. Bite the bullet, just say it… "Copper and I have a daughter."

Both females stared for a second before Ratchet snorted and raised a brow. "Well you two work fast."

"Ratchet!" Modo protested, turning pink under his fur. "And you think Primer gets her plain spoken-ness from Mama."

"Sorry, little brother. Just a bit shocked, is all." Primer leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. "So…how…when…?"

"Five years ago, before I left," Modo said, squeezing Copper's hand. Copper was looking hopefully between Ratchet and Mama Maverick, who was silently gazing at the floor with her hands in her lap. Copper swallowed back the lump in her throat and spoke up.

"Her name is Silver. She's five and likes to play soldier and planning out battles. She loves everyone, she doesn't know how to hate someone." Copper smiled. "She has Modo's eyes."

"Does she now?" Ratchet asked with a slight smile. "I'd like to meet her."

"As would I," Mama Maverick said. "But answer a question for me first." She looked straight at Copper, her expression unreadable. "Why didn't you come to us when you found out about the baby?"

Copper worried her bottom lip between her teeth, thinking of an answer. "Honestly, ma'am, I didn't know you. I'm used to being self-sufficient. And I was angry at Modo. I thought he'd abandoned me."

"Goddess knows I taught my boy better than that," Mama Maverick said.

"You did. I was scared," Copper said, holding on to Modo's hand for dear life. "I can't ask forgiveness for what I did, keeping Silver from your family. I love her, and I love Modo. I lost him once and it almost broke me. I won't-I can't do that again." Modo felt his heart swell at her words. She was proclaiming her feelings in front of his mother! No one had ever done that for him before.

Mama Maverick and Ratchet stared at Copper, contemplating her in a way that made Copper feel slightly uneasy. She glanced at Modo, her heart fluttering when she saw the look he gave her. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, wishing they were alone so he could take her in his arms.

"Mama, Ratchet, this lady is the one fer me. I ain't gonna leave her again, her or our daughter."

"Well we weren't asking you too!" Mama Maverick said, finally smiling again. "I was hoping for grandbabies from you, but I didn't expect one so suddenly."

"Yeah, good work, little brother," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Now maybe she'll lay off me a little bit." Modo laughed as well. Mama Maverick leaned forward and took Copper's other hand.

"Copper dear, please feel free to bring Silver over as soon as you're ready. Family should stick together."

"I will, Mama Maverick," Copper said, gently squeezing the old female's hand. "As soon as I tell her she has more family."

"I say just haul out and tell her," Ratchet said. "Little kids are really resilient. They take things in stride most of the time."

"I'll take your word for it," Copper said. "I'm still getting used to this whole motherhood thing. I never really planned on kids."

"We never do," Ratchet said with a grin. "But they're the light of our lives anyway."

"Well, them and the males we choose to live it with." Copper smiled and leaned over to brush a kiss to Modo's cheek. Modo blushed under his fur, making his mother and sister laugh.

* * *

They left soon after that: Rimfire had left for his date, leaving his sister to finish the dishes. Primer was still cursing her brother as Modo and Copper left with a bundle of food strapped to the back of the bike. Mama Maverick and Ratchet waved them off, Copper promising to come with Silver on her next day off. The ride to Redrock was uneventful, peaceful even. The stars gleamed overhead, the desert was quiet: the moons were the only light to guide them. Copper was snuggled against Modo's back, her skirt hiked up around her waist so she could sit astride: she always feel like she was going to fall off when she sat sidesaddle.

She was trying very hard to be good, to not run her fingers through the short fur over Modo's abs. To not reach lower, undo his belt, peel apart his jeans and- She sighed, letting the thought fly away on the wind. It was not a good idea to do that sort of thing on the open road. So she contented herself with breathing in his scent, his musky, dark, spicy scent that made her heart beat faster every time it crossed her nose.

The bike made a sudden turn off the road, tires digging into the gravel and sending rocks flying. Copper could only hold on to Modo, not even able to call out to him over the roar of the engine. The path they were on twisted up and around, climbing a steep hill. Modo's bike took the turns with ease, his handling sure, like he had been up this road before. The path ended at the top of a hill that overlooked Redrock. The city's lights shone out into the blackness of the desert, twinkling and moving as some of its citizens enjoyed the coolness of the night.

Modo stopped Li'l Hoss and took off his helmet, staring out over the desert. Copper followed suit, shaking out her hair as it was freed from the helmet's confines. "What's up, baby?"

"Jus' wanted to talk to you before we get ya home," He said. "Get some alone time after that visit." He turned and smiled at her, rubbing his nose against hers. "I'm proud of ya, darlin'. Ya did good today."

"Thanks lover," Copper smiled and playfully licked his nose. Modo's smile widened and he kissed her, turning around more in his seat so he could wrap his arms around her, kissing her hard. He'd wanted to do that since he had picked her up that afternoon but had contented himself with small, chaste kisses. No need to get riled up before meeting with his family. But now he could taste her fully, could hold her as tight as he wanted.

Copper groaned and clung to Modo's shoulders, grateful for the solidness of him. Grateful for the way he touched her, grateful he was back with her. Modo dragged her into his lap, settling her on top of him with her back against the handlebars. Copper thrilled at his ability to pick her up and move her around like that, showing his strength. He was so strong, but still so gentle with her. He was always so careful not to hurt her. But she had seen him fight, seen him use his strength to keep his race safe. Both sides were such a turn-on Copper wondered how she ever got so lucky.

Modo broke the kiss and rested her forehead against hers, his breathing heavy, as was hers. He looked into her eyes, the dark brown orbs hazy but filled with love. For him. All for him. He took a deep breath and decided to take a chance. "Darlin', I want to ask you something."

"What baby?"

"Will ya let me be with ya all the time? Let me stay with ya and our baby girl?" He took another breath and gently rubber her cheek with his thumb. Goddess, he was nervous! "Let's live together, darlin'. You, me, Silver…be a family. What d'ya say?"

Copper worried her bottom lip between her teeth, unable to look away from Modo's hope-filled garnet eye. He was waiting for her answer, hoping he would not be hurt. She couldn't hurt him but she was so nervous to live with him, to take the next step. Her stubborn and bitchy side was refusing to let her take another risk, let her move forward.

And she was so sick of it.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed it farther down, down so that she couldn't hear its voice anymore. This was right. This was how it was supposed to happen. And she couldn't hurt him. She smiled and kissed him, touched her antenna to his and let him know her decision in the most intimate way she could. "Ok. Come live with us. We'll be a family."

Modo's heart stopped for a second. He could feel so much, connected to Copper's mind: love, fear, happiness, lust…so many and he couldn't figure out if it came from him, from her, or from both of them. "Thank you, darlin'. Thank you, thank you…"

"We're going to need a bigger place," she said with a chuckle. "And Alloy is going to have a shitfit when he finds out."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Modo chuckled. "Aww, darlin', I've been waiting for this for such a long time."

"Yeah…I think I have, too." She kissed him again. "I love you, Modo baby."

"I love ya too, darlin'." He gently rubbed the spot behind her ear, making her gasp and look up at the stars. "Let me show you how much…"

* * *

Hope you guys liked it. Until next time, ride free!


	11. Chapter 10

Last year of school is only a quarter of the way done! Someone needs to invent a fast-forward machine that can send me through time right to graduation.

But anyway, hope you all like the chapter! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease review! Reviews make me oh-so-happy and joyful.

**DISCLAIMER TIME!** I don't own the bros, sadfaces abound. Please don't sue me, I'm poor. And please don't use any of my characters (Copper, Silver, Alloy, Lani, etc) without permission.

* * *

"Fuck…" Copper muttered as she surveyed the mounds of boxes and still unpacked items that littered the living area. "Where the hell did all this shit come from?"

"I have no idea," Alloy grunted as he hauled a box full of kitchenware into the room, setting it down gently by the floor. "I blame you, though."

She glared at her twin. "How the fuck is it my fault?"

"Males never have that much stuff," Alloy said. "Everyone knows it's the females who hoard their stuff. Ergo, it is yours and Silver's faults."

"Oh, everyone knows this, do they?" Copper asked, cracking her knuckles in a way that made Alloy wince.

"Sheesh sis, you're gonna give yourself arthritis if you keep that up."

"Bite me, bro. And don't change the subject, yeah? How is all this shit my fault?"

"You're the one who never wants to get rid of anything!"

"That is so not true! What about all that junk right there?" She pointed towards the corner: there was a pile of Alloy's things stacked almost as high as the ceiling, ready to be moved into what used to be Copper's room. "Isn't that mostly clothes? For the love of the Goddess, Alloy, you have more clothes than I do!"

"I have style," Alloy said with a sniff. "All you wear is leather and t-shirts."

"That is so untrue," Copper grumbled. "I have other clothes."

"One skirt and one dress does not a wardrobe make," Alloy said. Copper glared at her brother again and punched him in the arm. "Oww! Geez, sis, why d'you always have to hit me?"

"Because you're an easy target." She smirked and shoved a box into his arms. "Now hurry up and take this to the cart. I gotta pick up Silver soon and by then Modo should be here."

Alloy frowned as he stared down into the box. The box was full of Silver's toys, including the grey mouse doll she usually kept with her. "It's going to be weird with you guys gone."

Copper mirrored her brother's expression, placing a hand gently on his forearm. "I told you you could move in with us. There's plenty of space."

"And potentially walk in on you and Modo doing the nasty? No thanks, I'm already worried about Silver's young eyes." Alloy smiled reassuringly at his sister. "It's time for you two to move on and start being a family."

"You're family too," she said. "And we've always got a room for you if you get lonely."

Skipping his usual sarcastic remark, Alloy leaned forward to rest his forehead against Copper's, their antenna briefly touching. "I know, Cop. We're gonna be ok."

Copper smiled sadly. "I'll miss you being around all the time, you know."

"Yeah, I know." He shuffled the box to one arm and gently tapped her nose. "Can't hide anything from me."

Copper grinned. "Watch it, punk, or I may hit you just on principle."

"You have no idea how much you sounded like Stoker just then," Alloy groaned. Opening the door, he walked out into the street, putting the box with the growing stack on the cart Copper had rigged to the back of his bike.

Copper sighed and turned her attention back to the pile of boxes. Things had been going so fast in the two months since she had met Modo's mama. Now she was heading over there on the last day of every week with Silver in tow to have dinner. Alloy had even come along once or twice. Silver had taken to Mama Maverick and her new aunt and cousins like a bro to his bike. Now she was always asking if they could go see her 'famwy', as she called them. Ratchet had been right: she had accepted her new family with minimal questions.

However, Copper didn't think Silver quite understood that Modo was her father. They had sat her down one night, Copper nervous as heck, Modo holding her hand to be reassuring, and tried explaining that Modo was her real father. Silver had smiled and nodded but still had not called Modo 'dad' or any variation on that title. He was still Mister Modo.

Copper could tell Modo was upset by Silver's refusal to call him dad. But he did not push the little female. He still played with Silver and still responded to being called Mister Modo. But sometimes Copper could see the sadness in Modo's expression, especially when Silver called her mama. Copper hoped now that they were all going to live together, Silver would eventually accept Modo as her father.

It had taken almost two months to find a home she and Modo would agree on. She wanted to stay in Redrock to be close to Alloy and the bar; Modo was hoping to be closer to his Mama and Resistance home base. Copper had won the argument, saying Silver needed to stay at the school she had begun attending just before Modo came back into their lives. Modo had agreed and found an unusual dwelling that he and Copper had fallen in love with.

On the outskirts of town, where farms had used to thrive, was a dwelling made out of a ridge of rock that had erupted from the ground. Part of the foothills of the mountains, the rock was hollow and the same red as the cliffs Redrock had been named for. It had once been the home of a farming family but it had been abandoned for years, before the war had even begun. Modo had made some inquiries and after finding no one else interested in the home had begun inquiring about purchasing it and the surrounding land.

He had taken Copper there alone, the both of them riding out to the secluded spot. He had not told Copper the purpose in the trip, letting her think it was just a nice drive out into the country. He had driven up to the property, Copper following on her ash grey racer. He led her around to the side of the home where it looked just like a tall ridge of rock. Parking Li'l Hoss, he pulled off his helmet and smiled at Copper, motioning for her to do the same.

"Where are we?" she had asked as she pulled off her helmet, setting it on the passenger seat of her bike.

"Come look," he said, offering her a hand off her bike. She took it, twining her fingers around his and following him up to the face of the rock.

"You came to show me a rock?" she asked with an upward quirk of her eyebrow. The ridge had the rough shape of a triangle that was being tilted backward. The top was tilting back at an odd angle like it had been pushed for millennia by wind. But the color was an attractive red-brown with darker brown and orange bands cutting through it.

"Lemme show you the rest," Modo said. Taking her around to the shorter edge, he opened a thick wooden door and walked into a dark room. Copper followed him cautiously, putting a hand on the blaster she had at the small of her back. Modo led her into the room and opened another door set into the opposite wall. Light from the outside door showed a small anteroom with a bench and pegs set in the walls. Copper assumed it had been used for motorcycle storage and the pegs were for hanging helmets. Before she could look closer Modo pulled her deeper into the rock, closing the door to the outside behind them.

"Modo baby?" Copper asked, straining to see in the darkness.

"Hold on, darlin'. I need to find the- ah!" With a soft click and a grinding noise, small skylights opened in the ceiling, reveling a large open space that made Copper's eyes widen. The room followed the natural shape of the rock, coming to a peak about twenty feet above the ground. A loft came out about halfway above the ground, floating above their heads with a spiraling staircase leading up into it. The kitchen was on the ground floor, separated from the main room from a rock counter. A door led farther back into the rock structure, but Copper left that for the moment.

Without a word, Copper went up the stairs, seeing the space above was not in fact a loft but a second story: a T-shaped hallway faced out over the ground floor with the down bar displaying a few doors, three on either side of the hall. A quick glance into each door showed two bedrooms with attached bathrooms, an empty closet, another bathroom and two spare rooms. Going back down the stairs, she opened the door that was in the back wall. It opened into a room as tall as the rest of the dwelling but completely empty. Copper assumed it had been a garage or a storage unit: a large metal door could roll up and lead to the outside.

She closed the door and looked toward Modo, who was standing in the middle of the front room with his arms crossed over his chest, an expectant and nervous grin on his face. "Well? What d'ya think, darlin'? This place is twenty minutes to Redrock, an hour to my mama's place and thirty minutes to Resistance HQ." When she still hasn't responded, he coughed nervously. "It's got plenty of land around it for a farm or something. My daddy was a farmer before he died, thought I'd take that up again. But if, ya know, that idea don't work for you, we can find some other-"

He was interrupted by Copper slamming into him, knocking him to the floor with her arms around his neck. She kissed him soundly, making Modo see stars. "I love it," she said, smiling at him. "I love it, I love it, I love it, it's perfect, how did you find it?!"

"I was driving by awhile back, thought it looked like a nice place." He smiled up at her, wrapping his arms around her. "D'ya really like it?"

"It's amazing!" Copper said, kissing him again. "It's so big! How are we going to fill all this space?"

"Well Alloy's welcome, if he wants," Modo said, endearing him even more to Copper. "Then there's Silver and, ah," Modo blushed slightly, "Any other little ones that may fall into our laps."

Copper stared down at him. "Little ones?"

"Not that I'm forcing ya, or anything!" Modo said in a slightly panicked tone. "It's up ta ya, darlin'."

Copper thought for a second before smiling again. "Maybe in a few years, ok? When we're all settled and me and Silver have had more time to catch up with you."

"No rush," Modo said, gently pulling Copper's hair free of its braid. "We've got plenty of time."

"Mmhmm," Copper hummed, leaning down to nibble on Modo's ear. "No rush at all…"

The rest of their visit to the house had been fun and pleasurable. Copper felt her cheeks heat at the memory as she placed another box in the cart. It had taken two months to nail out the final details but now the property was theirs and today was move-in day. Or, mostly move-in day. Their large furniture, like the beds and the couch (which Copper had won the coin toss for, much to Alloy's chagrin) was being hauled out the next day by Throttle, Vinnie and Modo with the help of a bigger cart than the one Copper was able to get. Checking the sun, Copper decided she had enough time to get the rest of the packed boxes into the cart before having to pick up Silver from school.

Just before setting off to get Silver, the familiar rumble of Li'l Hoss' engine came up behind Copper. She turned and smiled when she saw Modo with Silver sitting in front of him, safe in her father's arms. Modo grinned back and waved a greeting, Silver jumping off the bike with practiced ease. "Hi Mama!"

"Hi Silver sweetie," Copper said, sweeping Silver into a hug before settling the little one on her hip. "Did you have a good day at school?"

"Yes," Silver chirped. "Asher Blackthorne thought he could beat me at one-on-one combat but I showed him!"

"Oh did you?" Copper asked, raising a brow at Modo. "Are we going to have a visit from his parents?"

"He's fine, darlin'," Modo said, getting off Li'l Hoss. "Just a bruise the size of Olympus Mons on his backside. He'll live."

"Ya know, I don't approve of fighting unless there's a good reason," she replied.

"But Mama, he was askin' for it!" Silver protested. "He kept saying somethin' mean!"

"What did he say?" Copper asked. Silver looked over her shoulder at Modo before whispering it into her mother's ear. Copper's eyes widened and she actually felt herself go pale under her fur.

"Goddess bless, I didn't think kids knew what that was," she said in a faint tone. Silver nodded gravely before smiling, the incident mostly forgotten.

"Are we ready to go, Mama?"

"Almost, sweetie. Uncle Alloy just went to the new house with most of the boxes, he should be back soon." Copper smiled and held out an arm to Modo, who came over and wrapped his arm around his females. "Hey baby."

"Hey darlin'," Modo said with a kiss to Copper's brow. He could smell sweat and dust in her fur. "Good day?"

"I swear, ya never know how much sh-stuff you actually have until you move," she said with a grin. She was trying to get better at containing her swearing, especially when around Modo and Silver. Modo disapproved in a big way and Silver still repeated everything she heard.

"I brought something for ya," Modo said, showing her the package he had hidden behind his back. "Dinner."

"Aww baby, you cooked?"

Modo shook his head. "Nah, Mama did. Stuffed mushrooms, just the way ya like 'em."

"Thank you, Modo," Copper said with a curious sniff. "Those smell amazing. And is that a meat pie?"

"I like meat pie," he said with a grin. "Not all of us prefer veggies."

"Still thoughtful of you. I packed up all the cookware already, I didn't even think about dinner."

Modo laughed and nuzzled Copper's ear. "Well come on then, my darlin' ladies. Let's get t' eatin'."

They sat and ate at the table; Alloy had won the coin toss for that one. Silver actually enjoyed the mushrooms, much to Copper's surprise. She had never liked mushrooms when they had been served to her before.

"Grandmama makes them better," Silver said frankly. "But Mama makes better everything else."

"Thank you, sweetie," Copper said. "That's nice of you to say."

"But Mama smells," Silver said, wrinkling her nose. "Mama should go clean up."

"Thank you, sweetie," Copper said again, this time with a frown. Modo hid a laugh behind a bite of meat pie. With a sniff, Copper got up and went into the bathroom to use the sonic cleanser, leaving Modo and Silver to take care of the trash and any remaining piles of things that littered the living room.

By the time she got out of the bathroom, Throttle and Vinnie were sitting in her living room. "Hey guys," Copper said as she finished plaiting the end of her braid. "How's it going?"

"So much better now," Vinnie said with a wink as his eyes roved up her body in a teasing way. Copper just sighed and rolled her eyes, refusing to acknowledge him further.

"So not that I mind the company but what are you guys doing here?" Copper asked Throttle.

"Whatcha mean, Copper girl?" Throttle asked with a confused look. "We've been hauling furniture all day to your new place."

"Huh?" Copper poked her head into her bedroom, surprised when she saw her bed was missing; her chest full of weapons had been moved the day before, much to her annoyance. "What the hell? When did the bed disappear?" Going down the hall, she peeked into Silver's room and saw her bed and toy chest had also disappeared. In fact, all of the belongings that had been deemed hers and Silver's were now gone.

"We came by this afternoon. Alloy said you were out getting more boxes."

"Damn…no wonder he wanted me to stay out of the bedrooms. Sneaky bastard." Copper cringed and looked around, glad for once Silver wasn't around. "Where did Modo and Silver go?"

"They took the last of your boxes out to the cart. Then you guys are heading over to your new place," Vinnie said. "Hope you like it, we've been decorating all day."

"_You_ were decorating?" Copper said with a raised eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"

"We used all the stuff you picked," Vinnie said with a pout. "Doncha trust me, sweetheart?"

"Not as far as I can throw you," Copper smirked, and Throttle laughed.

"C'mon Copper girl, let's head outside and get you home."

Copper smiled and gave Throttle a hug, surprising the tan mouse. She shocked him even more when she gave Vinnie a hug as well. "Thank you so much, you guys," she said.

"Hey, anything for you, Copper girl," Throttle said. "You're family now."

"Wow, you're so much sweeter when you're in love," Vinnie said, holding on to Copper for a second longer than was proper.

"I will still break you," Copper said with a smile. He let her go, his white fur getting just a little paler on his cheeks.

They went outside and found Alloy had returned, a new bed frame and other new pieces of furniture now in the cart. Copper punched her brother in the arm, making him yelp in pain.

"You jerk! Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I wanted it to be a surprise, sis." Alloy winced and rubbed his arm. "Why you gotta hit me so hard?"

"Because you deserve it," she replied. Turning from Alloy, she saw Silver was wearing her helmet and perched in front of Modo.

"Ready to go, darlin'?" he asked with a smile that made her heart skip a beat. She nodded and grabbed her helmet from its old peg by the door.

"Yeah. I'm ready." She hugged Alloy and kissed him on the cheek, fighting off the tears that were threatening to come out; as much as her brother annoyed her, they had never been apart for more than a few days their entire lives. He was her twin and family that actually wanted her. "I'll see you at work, ok little brother?"

"Of course you will big sis," he said and gently kissed her forehead. "Take care."

"Always." They gently rapped knuckles and Copper pulled on her helmet and got onto her bike, revving up with a clatter of gravel and dust. "Last one home has to finish unpacking!"

"Hey!" Modo yelled and Silver laughed, pleased they would soon be going fast. With a wave to his bros and Alloy, he took off after Copper, his bike kicking up more dust than Copper's little racer.

Alloy and the bros watched the bikes disappear down the road, Alloy's grin a little wistful. When they were out of sight, Alloy sighed and pulled back his hair. "I'll share a bottle of ploom whiskey with you guys if you help me set up my furniture."

"Deal," the bros said in unison, grabbing furniture and heading inside. Ploom whiskey was a popular but hard to find drink on Mars. Totally worth helping a friend set up his now very empty-feeling apartment.

Alloy sighed again and grabbed an end table he had found years ago and kept stored at the bar. He had a lot of space to fill now that his family had gone.

* * *

The sun had set by the time they reached home. Copper got there just before Modo and Silver did, laughing as she pulled to a stop in front of the garage door. Her braid had come undone during the ride and her long hair was now a snarled mess. Totally worth the win.

Modo came to a stop slower than Copper had, his metal arm wrapped around Silver and holding her close. "That necessary, darlin'?"

"Yep," Copper said with a nod to Silver, who was now fast asleep. "Whenever she wouldn't fall asleep I'd take her for a fast ride across the sand. She'd conk out faster than you can hum 'Do Your Ears Hang Low'." Modo chuckled and opened the garage, wheeling in his bike with Copper right behind him. Carefully cradling Silver against his chest, he slid off her helmet and got off his bike. She stirred sleepily but remained in the loose, floppy state young ones achieved when they were truly at peace.

He took his daughter upstairs and put her into her pajamas, only getting a small murmur of protest when he tucked her into bed. Pulling her blanket up over her shoulders, her gently smoothed back her hair and kissed her forehead. "I love you, my little girl."

He still wasn't brave enough to say that when she was awake. But whenever he tucked her in, he said it and hoped she knew.

He went back downstairs and found Copper sitting on the couch in their new living room. With what he had had in his quarters at Resistance and what they had managed to find at markets, get from interstellar traders or commission from what artisans were left. So far the space was slightly bare but still homey: the old couch from Copper's place, a low table that Modo had found at a market and rugs Copper had conned from a Venusian trader decorated the front living space along with the pottery pieces Copper had from her mother. The kitchenware was still mostly unpacked with boxes lining the counter space. Modo had been working on a dining table but it was lying halfway built on the floor.

Copper growled as she tried to pull a brush through the long, snarled mess that was now her hair. "Goddess damn it all to the farthest reaches of space…"

Modo grinned and came up behind her, gently rubbing her scalp with his normal hand. "Give me the brush, darlin'."

She handed him the brush, sighing with content as he gently began working it through the worst tangles at the ends. "Silver asleep still?"

"Passed out like a light," Modo said, gently working out particularly nasty tangle. "How do you like the bros' decorating?"

"Better than I expected," Copper said, her eyes closing. "Thank you for having them help."

"They actually offered without my asking," Modo chuckled. "They're really happy that I've got someone again. And they like ya."

"Goddess only knows why." Copper smiled and looked up at him, her brown eyes sparkling. Modo smiled back and leaned down to brush a kiss to Copper's lips.

"Cuz they know yer not gonna treat me like dirt or leave me for a prettier face. Ya don't see me as a conquest or a freak. And ya can shut Vinnie up, which Throttle and I appreciate."

Copper laughed and turned to face him, tossing her now tangle-free hair over her shoulder. "Damn straight. He can't mess with the baddest babe this side of the Asteroid Belt."

"And don't I know it," Modo said, pulling Copper in for a hug. She hugged him back, tucked her head under his chin. He nuzzled the ragged flap of skin that was left of her ear and lifted her up over the back of the couch so he could hold her against his chest. "I love you, Copper darlin'."

"I love you too, Modo my love." She grinned and wrapped her legs around his waist, her grin widening when she felt his arousal grow against her. "Let me show you again how much…"

* * *

"General, we are entering Martian space," the masked private said in a low growl. "We have not yet been detected by their long-range scanners."

"Excellent," the hulking Catatonian said with a toothy grin. "Begin preparation of the first invasion wave. It's time to get what we came for."

_Yes_, Cataclysm thought as he settled back into his commander's chair, his golden eyes gleaming in the dim light of the command deck. _Time to exterminate these rodents and get the Regenerator…By any means necessary. _

_

* * *

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_AN: _DunDunDuuuuuunnn!! XD


	12. Chapter 11

Whew...It's been a busy month for me!

And that's all I have to really say on the subject XD

Please review! I allow anonymous reviews!

**DISCLAIMER TIME!** I don't own the bros, sadfaces abound. Please don't sue me, I'm poor. And please don't use any of my characters (Copper, Silver, Alloy, Lani, etc) without permission.

* * *

Chapter 11

Modo woke up to the sound of the communicator in his arm buzzing like an angry rattler. Trying to ignore it, he snuggled closer into Copper's back, burying his nose in her hair. Copper murmured and turned her head slightly so she could look up at him though her eyes remained closed. "Baby…" she said in a drawn-out and sleepy tone. "Turn off the alarm…It's too fuckin' early…"

"Sorry darlin'," Modo said. "I can't turn it off."

"Than get ridda it and lemme get back to sleeping," she said, pulling away and burrowing under the blanket, sticking her head under the pillow for good measure. She was always cranky after being woken up instead of being allowed to wake up on her own. Modo growled and turned onto his back, letting the communicator screen extend out of his arm. Carbine's face glaring out at him was not the best way to wake up in the morning.

"General," Modo drawled, instantly becoming more awake. "How can I help you?"

"Sorry to wake you so early, Modo," Carbine said, her tone grim. "We've got a problem here."

"Vinnie get his tail tangled in a wheel spoke again?" Copper muttered, pulling her head out from under the pillow to glare at Carbine's image. "Seriously Carbine, it's too fucking early."

"I'm sorry Copper," Carbine said, her expression softening slightly when she saw Copper's sleep-mussed hair. "But we need Modo here at base."

"Carbine…" Copper whined. "We just moved in last night. It's-" she glanced at the windows, seeing the barest streak of pink in the sky, "-just dawn. What is so important?"

The grey female sighed and pushed raven-dark hair out of her face. "Last night our scanners picked up a signal from the edges of our space. The signature matches that of a Catatonian battle cruiser."

"Oh mama…" Modo said, sitting up quickly and pulling on his pants. "I'll be there as soon as I can." Turning off the comm link, he moved around the room gathering his clothes while Copper watching him with unreadable eyes.

"Modo baby…" she said, sitting up and pulling the sheet close around her chest. "Did that mean what I think it did?"

"Could be something else," Modo said. "They could just be passing by and got a little too close to our defense grid."

"Then why did Carbine want you to rush over so early in the morning?" Copper pulled her legs up so she could rest her chin on her knees, her arms encircling her legs so she hugged herself. "This is nothing good and you know it."

Modo frowned and sat down next to her on the bed. "Darlin', it's not like I won't be comin' home."

She worried her lip between her teeth, staring down at her knees. "You sure about that?"

"Hey now," he murmured, tilting her chin up with his fingers to make her look at him. "Nothin' is gonna keep me away from you this time. I'll come right back home as soon as Carbine's done yellin', alright?"

Copper's brown eyes were unreadable but she nodded her head and pulled him in for a hug. "You'll let me know when you're on your way?"

"I will," Modo smiled and kissed her. "I'll even finish building the table as soon as I get home."

She smiled and kissed him back, fighting off her inner feeling of worry. "Ok baby. You take care, drive safe."

"I've got something to be safe for," he said. Giving her one more hug, he left their room and went to the one right next door. Silver was still asleep, sprawled at the foot of her bed with her head hanging over the side. He smiled and picked her up, setting her back the right way. She stirred sleepily, her garnet eyes opening slightly to look at him.

"Mister Modo?"

"Well hey there li'l Silver Star," Modo said, gently pulling her blanket up around her shoulders. "Didn't mean to wake ya."

"Where you going?" Silver asked, sleep making her voice soft.

"Just gotta run to base for a little while. I'll be back soon though, ok?"

"'kay," Silver murmured, already falling back asleep. "Bye bye."

"Bye bye, my li'l star," Modo said. He kissed his daughter on the forehead, gently smoothed back her burgundy hair, and then left before he decided to forget about Carbine and just stay with his girls.

* * *

Modo rolled in to Resistance Headquarters soon after, parking his bike in its usual place next to Vinnie and Throttle's. Taking off his helmet, he balanced it on the handlebars and took a look around, a frown coming on to his face. There was a lot more activity than there had been in the past year: soldiers ran about with purpose, mechanics worked to get bikes and weapons ready and officers stood around barking orders at the throngs. With a sigh he headed towards Carbine's office situated in the center building of the base. As he passed the plaque dedicated to Stoker, he grinned and gently touched his fingers to the older male's likeness. "Come back soon, coach. We miss ya."

"Speak for yourself," Vinnie muttered, coming up behind Modo. "I hated it when he would yank my chain."

"Like it's hard," Modo said, slinging an arm around Vinnie's shoulder. "Any idea why Carbine wants us in this early?"

"No clue, bro," Vinnie said, rubbing his temples. "But I was up all night helping Alloy unpack his stuff. I'm not awake enough for anything."

"Better be awake enough for this, bros," Throttle said, poking his head out of Carbine's office door. He had heard Modo and Vinnie's voices through the door. "It's bad."

"How bad?" Modo asked, all traces of a smile gone.

"Looks like an invasion," Throttle sighed, pushing his bangs out of his face.

"What the hell do those cats want?" Vinnie snarled, his tiredness gone now.

"The Regenerator," Carbine's voice came from the interior of the office. "Get in here." The bros all stepped into the office, Modo closing the door behind him. Carbine's office doubled as center of security and storage for the Regenerator; now that she was more or less in charge of the thing, Carbine didn't want it out of her sight. The spacious office, decorated in shades of orange, was utilitarian. Carbine kept one sad-looking plant in the corner in an attempt to try and make the place homier. The raven-haired general was behind her desk, pouring over a sheaf of papers. She nodded to the bros, gesturing towards a few chairs. "Sit."

Vinnie and Modo sat in the offered chairs, Throttle taking up his station behind his girl and gently resting a hand on her stooped shoulder.

"What's the situation, Carbine ma'am?" Modo asked, ready to get this meeting over with so he could go home to his girls.

Carbine sighed and sat up a little straighter, one hand covering Throttle's. She looked drawn, like she had not gotten enough sleep for weeks. "At about 0400 hours we detected a Catatonian battle cruiser at the edge of our space. The Catatonians have been after the Regenerator for a while now, probably prompting Stoker to go underground. Their planet is in need of resources, just like ours is. Stoker's built at least two Regenerators, one that you see here and one on Earth with some businessman. I assume the Cats don't know about the one on Earth or they would have headed there first since they don't know about life on other planets. Except for a select few, of course," she added with a slight grin: she knew how much Charley meant to the bros. "We've sent a few of our battleships up into space but our armada isn't what it used to be. There's little chance they can stop the Cats. We're going to see a massive invasion force here on Mars in a matter of hours, maybe a day if we're lucky."

"Oh mama," Modo said, sinking weakly back into his chair. Throttle looked drawn around the eyes, as did Carbine. Vinnie just looked excited.

"Aahwoohoo, more tail to thrash!" the white mouse crowed, gleefully rubbing his hands together. "It's been way to quiet around here."

"Speak for yourself, Vincent," Modo growled, his eye flashing red. "Not all of us have nothing to think of but your amusement."

"Modo's right, Vinnie," Throttle said, glaring at Vinnie from behind his specs. "So why don't you keep yer yap shut until Modo cools down? Unless you want your ass handed to you on a platter."

Vinnie at least had the decency to look chagrined. "Sorry bros. Quiet as a mouse over here."

"And keep it that way, cheese-for-brains," Modo growled. He glanced in Carbine's direction, his expression pleading. "General…Carbine, are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes, Modo," she sighed, pained at the expression on Modo's face. "I know you and Copper just moved in together-"

"And Silver's really starting to treat me like her father," Modo interrupted. "We've had so little time together!" He stopped there, aware his bros were staring at him with the strangest looks on their faces. Carbine looked away, partially hiding her face behind her hair and holding on to Throttle's hand like he was her last line to the planet.

"I'm sorry, Modo. But we need you out there."

"Yeah, bro," Throttle said. "Who's going to watch out for us out there if not you?"

"And who's gonna watch out for my girls if I'm not there?" Modo asked.

"Um, bro, you HAVE seen Copper shoot, right?" Vinnie said, feeling he could put in his two bits without being punched. "I'm pretty sure she can handle herself."

"That's not the point, Vincent," Modo growled, making Vinnie's ears go slightly flat. "I wasn't there five fuckin' years! I want to be there now! And why is it as soon as I get some happiness, something happens to take it away!" By the end of this speech he was practically roaring, making the others in the room shrink back slightly from him. Even Throttle looked edgy: in all the years he had known Modo, he had never seen the male this incensed. And Modo hardly ever swore…it was just freaky.

Modo took a breath and released it slowly, letting oxygen circulate and calm down the raging adrenalin. He stood up and gave a slight nod in Carbine's direction. "Excuse me, general." With that he left the room, gently closing the door behind him.

"Ah man," Vinnie breathed. "I don't think I've ever seen Modo so pissed." He looked up at Throttle. "Where do you think he's going?"

"I have no idea," Carbine said, her expression bleak.

* * *

Modo had never driven so fast in his life. Even when Copper had been captured by Sand Raiders or when he was a teenager and Ratchet had fallen off a rock and broke her leg trying to best him in some game. Now he rode like time itself was after him and waiting to devour his future even more. Skidding to a halt in front of their home, Modo threw his helmet onto the couch and took the stairs three at a time, shedding his boots and chestpiece as he did so. Slamming open the door to their bedroom, he dove under the covers and roughly grabbed Copper to him, burying his nose in the juncture of her neck and shoulder and breathing deep.

"What the ever-loving fuck?!" Copper gasped, coming awake to her male almost strangling her with his hug. "Modo? What are you doing back so soon?" Modo responded by kissing her, his hands cupping her sides and his thumbs gently rubbing circles on her ribs just under her breasts. Copper gasped, giving Modo the chance to slip his tongue into her mouth. She responded then, kissing him back just as hard, her hands clutching at his shoulders, back, neck, ears- anything she could reach. Modo groaned and possessively nipped Copper's neck, making her gasp again and pull away panting.

"Modo, what's gotten into you?" she panted, trying to get her breathing back under control. Modo was never this aggressive, even when she had been provoking him. He was always slightly restrained to keep from hurting her on accident, his kisses always just a little soft to keep from bruising. But his last kiss had stung, a ravishment of lips Copper had never expected from her lover.

Frankly, it scared her.

He must have seen something in her eyes because he backed off, turning away from her and lying back against the pillows. "Nothing," he said, crossing his arms over his chest and staring up at the ceiling. "Nothing's wrong."

She sat and contemplated his profile for a moment before punching him where his metal arm met his shoulder. He gasped at the sudden pain, head whipping in her direction with eye wide. "What was that for?!"

"For lying to me," she hissed. "We promised, no lies and no regrets. You're regretting something big and don't you fucking try to tell me otherwise."

Modo sighed and looked away from her again, not able to meet her smoldering brown eyes just yet. "I left the Resistance. I'm not a fighter anymore."

"What about the Catatonian cruiser?" she asked.

"What about it?" he grunted. "It's not my problem anymore."

"Are you fucking kidding me? Of course it's your problem!" she growled. "And it's gonna be all of our problem if those damn Cats come down after us!"

"And I'll be here t' protect you and Silver," he said, still refusing to meet her gaze. "I won't leave you two alone again."

"So you're going to turn your back on the rest of the planet?" she hissed, not believing what she was hearing. "You're going to hinder one of the best chances this planet has if it comes to war? Why?"

"You and Silver are my world, my entire existence," he said quietly. "I can't leave you two again."

"But Mars needs you. Vinnie and Throttle need you."

"My family needs me more."

Copper looked away from him then, unable to hold back her tears. "So you're going to leave your brothers out there to be killed when Silver and I will be perfectly safe here or back in the caves with Alloy. Leave one family in the dust for another."

"It ain't like that, Copper," Modo growled. "They had me to watch their backs for years-"

"So, what, now they've lost their turn because you found out we had a baby?" Copper said, her voice dripping sarcasm and stinging Modo like sand in his eye. "Wow. Didn't know you cared so little for them."

"I'm doing this because I care for you! And for Silver!" Now he was truly angry, sitting up to glare at her, his eye burning crimson.

"You've picked a fucked up way to show it! Vinnie and Throttle are my brothers, too! And you're leaving them out there too rot!"

"They can take care of themselves!" he roared.

"And they can take care of themselves better with you!" she screamed back, swinging a punch at his nose. Modo caught her arm and pulled her to him, pinning her by wrapping his arms and tail around them so they were both kneeling on the bed in a mass of limbs and emotions.

"Why you actin' like this, Copper?" he asked, a little quieter now that she was so close. "I did this for you."

"It wasn't the way I wanted it," she hissed, wiggling to try and break his grip. "You're abandoning them and the rest of the goddess-damned planet for me. I can't stand that, Modo!" Soft sobs shook her, making it hard for her to concentrate on breaking free. She was so angry with him! She wanted to make him understand…"I don't want you to leave me again," she sobbed. "But I can't sit by and watch others get killed just because I want you to stay."

Modo was quiet for a moment before loosening his grip, letting her lean against him instead of having her pinned against him. "I just want t' be here for ya and Silver," he said, gently nuzzling her ear.

"What?" she asked softly. "I can't hear you…"

"Did ya turn yer implant down?" he asked, smiling despite himself.

"Yeah…" she muttered. "Could hear ya yelling just fine, though."

"I'm sorry," he said, letting go of her completely so she could make adjustments to the implant in her damaged ear.

"Yeah, me too," she said, sitting back on her heels and looking up at him sadly. "You need to go back, Modo. They need you."

"You need me too," he said, rearranging himself so he was sitting tailor-style in front of her.

"I do," she nodded. "But right now, they need you more. And I'm not going anywhere."

He sighed and rubbed his scalp, making the fur between his ears stand on end. "Oh darlin'…Why's it gotta be so hard?"

"I don't know," she said, leaning forward to capture his face between her hands. "But I can't let you just sit next to me and let yourself go to waste. You would resent me for it sooner or later."

"I could never resent you," he murmured, rubbing his cheek against her slightly calloused palm. She smiled sadly and knelt between his legs, cradling his head against her chest and resting her chin on his head. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly as his body shook.

"I love you, Modo," she said, gently stroking his back. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I don't want to leave you again," he whispered, a tear streaking down his cheek. "What if something happens to you or Silver? I'll never be able to forgive myself."

"Shh…" she said. "We'll be fine, love. And when you come home to us, we'll be waiting."

* * *

AN: I've already started on the next chapter, I'll try and have it up before Christmas. Hope you all liked it and thanks for reading! Again, please review! =D


	13. Chapter 12

Thanks to everyone who has read so far. If you haven't reviewed, please do. Reviews make me a happy camper =)

**DISCLAIMER TIME!** I don't own the bros, sadfaces abound. Please don't sue me, I'm poor. And please don't use any of my characters (Copper, Silver, Alloy, Lani, etc) without permission.

* * *

It took two days for the Catatonians to break through the fleet of Martian ships and land on the planet's surface. The Biker Mice were among the first in the wave of Martian fighters who attacked the Cats as soon as their ships landed, spilling Catwalkers out of their bellies. As much as Modo hated the situation, fighting alongside his bros gave him a sense of belonging he hadn't realized he missed. There was something amazing about blowing up your enemy with your bros.

The Biker Mice were out running patrols two weeks after the initial invasion before things started getting really interesting.

"Aahwoohoo!" Vinnie crowed when he managed to blow up the first Catwalker of the day. "That's Vinnie one, Modo nada!"

"Not so fast, Vincent," Modo said. Pivoting Li'l Hoss around, he sent out two well-placed missiles from his bike. Each one hit a Catwalker right between the legs where the engine was housed. The explosions were dazzling. "You were saying?"

"Aw man…" Vinnie whined. Suddenly he grinned, reaching out a fist to Modo. "It's good to have ya fighting with us, bro."

Modo looked at the offered fist for a moment before grinning and tapping knuckles with Vinnie. "Kinda good t' be here, Vin."

"Yeah, this party would not have been as fun without you," Vinnie said.

"Speaking of a party, we've got a special invite, bros," Throttle said, coming up next to Modo. "The kitty cats are attacking the base."

"How did they find it?" Modo growled, gripping the handlebars of his bike with such force Li'l Hoss beeped in protest. Since headquarters and the Regenerator had been moved underground, the location had been kept secret from all but the most trusted troops.

"I dunno, bro, but I'm starting to think we have a traitor in our midst," Throttle said, turning his bike towards HQ and pouring on the speed. "Someone gave them the codes to the defense grid so we couldn't spot them 'til they were close enough to bite our tails. Someone let them in on where we kept weapons stashed and someone told them where we the base is. There's no way those cats are that lucky."

"You told Carbine any of this?" Vinnie asked, unable to keep worry from wrinkling his brow.

Throttle nodded. "She agrees with me. She just doesn't know who and she doesn't know how they're getting this info."

"We gotta figure it out and before they spill the beans on where the females and children are hiding," Modo said, worry lacing his tone. It had been struggle enough to get Copper to shelter with the rest of the females and children in the mountains. If she knew the position was compromised, she would be out of there before Modo could stop her.

"Not just yet, bro," Throttle said grimly, the sounds of battle reaching them. "We've got bigger kitties to declaw."

* * *

The few mice left after the bloody surprise attack were taken to the medical ward to be healed. Those who remained were there only because the Biker Mice had interveined and turned the tide of the battle. The remaining soldiers were grateful but almost all of them were wounded in some way.

"Yer ok," Modo murmured to a young male no older than Rimfire who was struggling to get out of bed and find his blaster despite the blood running from his temple and arm. "It's over fer now."

"Not for much longer, though," Alloy muttered, coming up behind Modo. He had taken up the fight again, much to the distress of his sister. Truthfully, Copper was more angry she was stuck hiding out while Alloy got to go out and fight. "I don't know how much longer that seal you put on the hatch can hold."

"It'll hold," Modo growled, pinning the young soldier with a glare. The young male gulped audibly and nodded his head, finally resting back on the bed and letting a brown-furred medic look him over. "How ya been, Alloy?"

"Getting back into the swing of things," the younger mouse said with a grin, running a hand absently over his now-cropped hair. Since it was impractical to keep it so long during war, he had trimmed it down so it was a short brush on his head with longer bangs shading his eyes. But despite the troubles of war and loss of his locks, he was still smiling and optimistic. "Saw Copper last night."

"What was she doing outside the shelter?" Modo said, his tail twitching anxiously. "I told her to stay put."

"And that's where she was," Alloy replied. "I was ordered to take some supplies in to them. She sends her love and Silver wanted to give you this." He held out a small clay charm on a black cord. The charm was shaped into the ancient symbol of protection but was formed crudely, like by the hands of a child. "Said she made it during her last art class."

Modo's heart throbbed and he smiled, taking the thin cord and wrapping it around his wrist. He missed his little one something fierce and would have given anything in the universe to have her safe and wrapped in his arms.

"Copper also wants you to know if you get hurt, she will personally come and beat your ass," Alloy continued. "How'd you make her promise to stay put, anyway?"

"I just asked," Modo said, still fingering the clay charm.

"Man, she won't even do that for me," Alloy muttered. "You have a gift, my friend."

"No, he's got something else if you know what I mean," Vinnie said as he walked over, waggling his eyebrows in a suggestive fashion. Modo blushed and glared at the white mouse.

"Vinnie…"

"Relax bro, I was just kidding." Vinnie grinned and clapped Alloy on the shoulder. "How's it going, Alloy? And how is that fine female of yours? She up for grabs again?"

"Not hardly," Alloy grinned. "We've been keeping in touch by communicator. She's hiding out with her father the admiral."

"Yeesh, pretty and connected," VInnie said with a shake of his head. "Too bad she's frigid like ice."

"I'm working on it," Alloy said. "She's coming around."

"Did you need something, Vinnie?" Modo asked, uncomfortable with talking about Yana. He had spoken his piece about her to Alloy and Vinnie both. If they chose not to listen, he couldn't stop them. But he could change the subject.

"Yeah, our commanding officer wants us to go talk to the general about what happened," Vinnie said. "We're supposed to meet them in her office."

"Let's go then." Modo grinned and clasped forearms with Alloy. "If you see Copper again, tell her I'll call her soon."

"You better," Alloy replied. "She's worried about you."

"And I'm worried about her."

The walk to Carbine's office was short but harrowing. The underground complex was suspended over a chasm that went down almost to the planet's core. Walkways were narrow, mostly without guardrails and over nothing solid. It was good for defense but a pain in the neck for just walking around.

Modo and Vinnie met up with Throttle just in front of Carbine's door. "Be warned, bros," Throttle said as he keyed the door open. "She's in kind of a bad mood."

As they walked in, Carbine was standing with her back to them, staring moodily at her uncle's plaque. "What would you have done in my shoes, Stoker?" she asked it.

"Probably would have sold out to the highest bidder," Throttle remarked. Carbine automatically grabbed her whip, thinking it was an intruder, and sent it flying for Throttle face. Vinne dove out of the way, landing face-first on the catwalk with his hands covering the back of his head. Throttle caught the end with a smirk and tugged, pulling it from Carbine's hands. "Someone woke up on the cranky side of the bed this morning."

"You would know," she shot back, glaring at him half-heartedly though she had visibly lit up at the sight of him.

"Aww man, why does everyone want a piece of me today?" Vinnie whined as he stood up. Modo chuckled and helped the younger mouse to his feet.

Throttle handed Carbine back her whip, taking a curious glance at the Regenerator. "You sure it's the best idea, having it out like that?"

"We have to get it to a more secure location," Carbine said. "With the attack and our other little problem, this location is compromised."

"Got any ideas?" VInnie asked, sipping on a root beer he had swiped from the mess hall.

"Anywhere but here sounds good," Carbine said with a wry grin. Suddenly she frowned down at her feet; the walkway was trembling. "Oh no…"

Large rocks began falling from the ceiling, narrowly missing Modo's head. "What the hell was that?"

"We're out of time," Throttle snapped. "Guys, get the Regenerator. We're getting out of here."

"Oh no you're not," Carbine said, narrowing her eyes at her boyfriend. "I know what you're thinking. The Regenerator stays on Mars, under my protection. And," she said in a softer tone, cupping Throttle's cheek in her hand, "You promised you wouldn't leave again."

Throttle gently covered her hand with his own, turning his face to kiss her palm. "I know, babe. But we don't have a lot of choice if we want any chance of survival."

"Um, yeah, I know you guys are having a tender moment and all," Vinnie said, covering his head with his arms as pebbles struck him. "But it seems like we're under attack. Think you could wrap it up for now?"

"You said it, bro," Modo said, grinning despite the situation. "You lovebirds can finish this later, yeah?"

Carbine glared at the bros, sending chills down their spines. "You chuckleheads got any other comments before I yank off your ears and sew them to your tails?" She grinned at Modo, the baring of her teeth a look of pure evil. "Or before I call up Copper and tell her what you said?"

Modo paled and covered his ears. "No, Carbine ma'am. No need."

A sudden blast blew Vinnie and Modo forward, pitching them into the table Carbine had been using for a desk. Vinnie grinned and let out a whoop as he lay flat on his back. "Ahwoohoo, deadly tetrohydrocarbon explosives! Don't you love that stuff?!"

Carbine sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Oh, fine. When did you say you guys were leaving?"

"Um, before now would have been nice," Throttle muttered as Claw Troopers poured into the chamber.

* * *

"Man, why do these guys have to smell so bad?" Vinnie muttered. "Seriously, it's like wet fur mixed with rotten fish mixed with kitty litter."

"Vinnie," Modo said, his tone warning. "Shut up before the nice kitties decide yer big mouth needs to be shut." He grunted and began flexing against the ropes binding him. "This is humiliating," he muttered as he tried to get free. "If Copper saw me, she would laugh herself silly."

"It could be worse," Vinne said.

"How could it be worse?" Throttle growled, struggling against his bindings as Modo was. "We've been captured by Cats, thrown onto their ship, and they're got the Regenerator. How could it be worse?"

"We could be naked," Vinnie said. "I dunno about you bros, but my studlyness is too good for these Cats' eyes."

"Just when I think you've stopped surprising me, you say something like that," Throttle said with a grin. "Modo, any luck?"

"No, bro, they tied my blaster down," Modo said. "Can't get it free."

"Ok, then I guess we wait," Throttle said with a sigh. "They'll come get us for questioning sooner or later."

Fortunately, it was sooner. A group of armed Troopers pulled the three mice out of their cell, blasters aimed at them the whole time. The bros were taken into the main holding area where dozens of Martians were in cages, yelling taunts at their guards. The bros were brought before a hulking Catatonian who stood head and shoulders taller than Modo. He had thick, shaggy fur and evil green eyes that were currently narrowed at the bros. He stood with his overdeveloped arms crossed over his chest, his short bob tail twitching occasionally as though shooing off a pesky fly.

"So. These are the famous Biker Mice," the male smiled, showing yellowing fangs. "I would say it is a pleasure to meet you but, honestly, I'm disappointed at how easily you were captured."

"And I'm disappointed at the general lack of hygiene you seem to have," Vinnie said, his nose wrinkling. "Seriously, do you guys actually lick yourselves clean? Eww."

The massive commander growled and grabbed Vinnie by his bandana, yanking him to eye level. "I would watch your words, mouse, before I start thinking I would like a snack."

Vinnie stared defiantly at him. "Yeesh, even your breath smells. It must be too many tongue baths."

"Vinnie, shut up!" Throttle snapped before the male got himself killed. The big Catatonian growled again and tossed Vinnie to the floor.

"You are Throttle, the leader, yes?"

"Yes," Throttle said. "Who are you?"

"I am Cataclysm, leader of this invasion. Well, victory, now." The huge male chuckled, a sound like sandpaper scraping metal. "Now that we have the Regenerator, we will be on our way. Your people will make excellent slaves on Catatonia."

"Not gonna happen," Carbine snapped from her place in one of the cages. "You Cats are all the same: all your muscle is below the neck."

"Defiant as always, general," Cataclysm said, his smile widening to show all his fangs. "But there is nothing that can stop me now that your army and your Biker Mice are in my control. And now that the Regenerator is mine, Mars is finished. All that is left is to find the rest of your pathetic species and wipe them out. Females and children first."

"No…" Modo growled, his eye flashing red. "Not…gonna…happen." With one last cry of effort, he snapped the ropes holding his arm and sent a blaster shot right at Cataclysm. The big male was quicker than he looked and jumped to one side, the blast instead hitting the control panel on one of the walls. The machine beeped once, twice, and then burst into flame. The cell doors holding in the Martian soldiers sprang free and they escaped with one unified shout, each soldier attacking the nearest Trooper. Modo ripped the rest of the rope free from his body before freeing Throttle and Vinnie. "Let's get the Regenerator and blow, bros!"

"Damn, Modo," Vinnie said, impressed despite himself. "That was one hell of a shot."

"Like my mama always says," Modo said, casually sending out blaster shots at the enemy. "Don't ever mess with a mouse's loved ones. Now let's get out of here and—" A huge fist came hurtling in his direction, sending Modo flying into a wall. Modo hit the steel hard and crumpled to the floor, dazed.

"Oh, I will mess with your loved ones for this," Cataclysm said, green eyes narrowed with hate. "And when I find them, rest assured they will not die as peacefully as you are going to!" He raised a blaster, aiming it at Modo's prone form. "Nighty night, mousie."

"Not so fast, kitty," a voice said, stopping Cataclysm in his tracks. "Look what I've got." A dark-cloaked figure held up the Regenerator, taunting the hulking cat with it. "Leave the mouse alone or I'll smash it."

Cataclysm stopped, finger still on the trigger. "You wouldn't dare."

"Catch me and find out," the figure taunted, disappearing out an open hatch door. Cataclysm roared and followed, bellowing for several Troopers to follow.

"Get the Regenerator back!" Carbine yelled from where she was fighting a Trooper, dispatching it with a well-placed kick to the head. "Get it back and get it off the planet!"

Throttle hesitated but then nodded, blowing a kiss in Carbine's direction. "Stay safe!"

"You too!" Carbine called back. "Contact me as soon as you can." Throttle nodded again and leapt out the door, whisting for Lady as he did so. Vinnie and a slightly disoriented Modo followed him out the door, whistling for their bikes as well. The black bike came at Throttle's call, as did Sweetheart and Li'l Hoss. The bros landed with practiced ease and revved up, riding out as soon as helmets were strapped on.

* * *

"Well that's not good," Modo said as they came up behind Cataclysm and his group. They had followed the masked stranger into a canyon and had him cornered, his bike against the canyon wall. The stranger was stuck with no way out but through the Cats getting closer with every moment.

Before they could get any closer, the stranger suddenly revved his engine. Jet turbines emerged from the side of his bike and lifted him up and over the Claw Troopers. The troopers started shooting wildly despite Cataclysm's orders to stop. One blaster shot hit the back of the stranger's bike, sending him flying and the Regenerator strapped there spinning to the ground.

Not even Vinnie could have stopped it from hitting with a loud crash and a sparkling of destroyed wiring. Cataclysm howled and sprinted for the pieces, hollering in panic when he saw that it was beyond repair. He looked up and saw the stranger, eyes filled with hate. "You fool!" he snarled. "Do you realize what you've done?"

"Um, yeah furball," the stranger muttered, holding on to his ribs. When the bike had gone flying, it had sent him into the ground with his bike on top of him. He had managed to spin away, but not fast enough to stop a piece of the bike from hitting him in the ribs. "Regenerators gone and now we're all screwed. Good job blowing it up."

Cataclysm hissed and lunged out for the weakened stranger, but he was gone before the blow could be struck. The mice sped by, the stranger pulled onto the back of Modo's bike. The rest of the bros followed, streaking off to the secondary base while Cataclysm howled his rage up at the sky.

* * *

"Who are you?" Modo growled, his blaster held at the black-clothed stranger. They had stopped in a protected cave almost a hundred miles away from the Cats, their trail covered by a sandstorm that had kicked up. "Why did you steal the Regenerator?"

"I was trying to protect it," the stranger growled back, his voice distorted by the black helmet he wore. "You mudpuppies weren't doing that great a job, thought I'd have to do it myself."

Throttle blinked at the word mudpuppies. "Who are you?"

"Aww, come on, Throttle," the male said, carefully lifting his helmet from his head to keep from hurting his ribs. "I thought I taught you boys better than this."

The Biker Mice all stared, jaws hanging loose at the sight of the male in front of them. "Stoker?!"


	14. Chapter 13

Hope everyone had a great winter!

So here's the deal: I'm entering my last semester of college. I have a ton of work that I have to do and a lot of time spent in class. I will try and update as much as I can but no promises.

Thanks to everyone who has read so far. If you haven't reviewed, please do. Reviews make me a happy camper =)

**DISCLAIMER TIME!** I don't own the bros, sadfaces abound. Please don't sue me, I'm poor. And please don't use any of my characters (Copper, Silver, Alloy, Lani, etc) without permission.

* * *

"Ow! Oh, mother freaking hell!" Copper growled, sucking the wounded tip of her finger. Where was Alloy when she needed him?! Sewing had never been her strong suit. Most of the time she stabbed herself instead of whatever it was she was supposed to be mending; at the moment, it was one of Silver's pairs of denims. She had caught them on a nail and torn them right at the seat. And for that, Copper had to suffer through stabbing her fingers.

"You alright, Copper ma'am?" Lani asked from where she was reading a book in the next chair. They were sitting in the common area of the shelter under a shaft of sunlight that filtered through a window in the ceiling, open to let in a bit of fresh air. Other females were around, attending to various tasks as children ran around and played with each other. The shelter they were in was tucked deep in the mountains with thick walls and doors that could not be opened from the outside. Windows in the ceiling allowed for light and air to get in, but only when they got the ok signal from the army. Even then, they could only be opened with a special code only a few of the females knew. The rest of their air got brought in from discreet shafts, but it could get musty.

Copper glared down at her fingers, then at the denims that had caused their present state. "Yeah. Just wondering when Silver grows out of the stage where everything gets torn at least once a day."

Lani laughed and held out a hand. "Here. Before you stab yourself to death." Copper handed over the pants gratefully, watching with some envy as Lani neatly re-threaded the needle and began fixing on the patch. "Lani?"

"Hmm?" Lani murmured, lifting bright blue eyes to look at her employer and friend.

"Thank you. I don't know how I could have dealt with all this without you. You're one of the only female friends I got, you know."

Lani smiled and shyly ducked her head, focusing back on the pants. "You're welcome, Copper ma'am. It's been nice to talk with you outside of work." She glanced up, a slight smile curving her lips. "Not that this is the setting I was hoping for."

Copper laughed loud enough for some of the other females to look over, curious. She nodded to them and they smiled back before returning to their tasks. "Goddess, I needed a laugh."

"I miss you laughing," Lani said, neatly biting off the end of the thread and handing the now-patched pants to Copper. "Though you've been laughing a lot more now that Mister Modo is back."

Copper's expression fell slightly, obvious pain and worry evident in her eyes. "I'm scared," she whispered. "I don't know what I would do if he got hurt and I'm stuck here where I can't help him."

Lani's eyes widened; she had never seen Copper look so vulnerable. Usually the red-furred female was loud and sometimes a little rude, able to keep peace in the bar and defend her barmaids from unwanted advances. Copper being vulnerable was new and very disconcerting to Lani. She reached over and took Copper's hand, squeezing gently. "I'm sure Mister Modo and Mister Alloy will come back safely and soon. They have you and Miss Silver to come back for."

Copper smiled softly and squeezed Lani's hand back. "Why couldn't Alloy have fallen for you? You'd be so much better for him than that frigid bitch."

"I wouldn't know," Lani said, ducking her head so Copper wouldn't see her blush. "It's his decision, not mine." _Not that I would mind Alloy looking at me the way he looked at Miss Glassgreen_, Lani thought. _But no female would mind if he turned his attention their way_.

Copper grinned and squeezed Lani's hand again. "Let's go find Silver. It's almost time for lunch." Lani nodded and picked up her book, following Copper deeper into the shelter where the mess hall was located. _I will say prayers to the Goddess tonight_, she thought. _For Mister Modo and Alloy. I hope they are both safe_.

* * *

Stoker chuckled and then winced, clutching his aching ribs. "Yes, it's me. You all really think I died?"

"No way," Vinnie said, shaking his head. "Just thought you'd gone off to be old and cranky somewhere else."

"Good to see you too, Vinnie," Stoker drawled. "I see you haven't grown up at all."

"Enough with the small talk," Throttle growled, glaring at Stoker from behind his shades. "Seriously, Stoke! Where have you been?"

"I've been traveling," the older mouse replied. "You know, spending my retirement years in exotic locations with warm beaches and little umbrella drinks."

"Any of those exotic locations Catatonia?" Throttle growled.

"No way, kid," Stoker said. "I've been running from those furballs ever since they got back on planet."

"Throttle, bro, would you chill out?" Vinnie said. "This is Stoker, man! No way he'd sell us out."

"Yeah bro," Modo agreed. "Why you acting so uptight?"

"Because the Regenerator is gone!" Throttle hissed. 'Our best chance to get Mars back to normal is gone. Our people are going to start dying without any water and that includes your girls, Modo. So yes, I am going to be uptight. I think it's the right time."

"Don't you think ah know that?" Modo growled, his eye starting to flicker red. "Ah know my girls are in trouble. But Stoker is here now. He can make another Regenerator."

"Yeah, about that…" Stoker said. "I can build another one, yeah. But I can't do it here."

"Why not?" Modo asked, his voice lowering ominously. Stoker swallowed and wondered how quickly he could move away from Modo if he gave the wrong answer.

"The Regenerator uses up tetrohydrocarbons quicker than Vinnie can guzzle root beer. There isn't a big enough deposit left here on Mars."

"And where is there a big enough deposit? Anywhere close?" Throttle jumped in before Modo could ask. The big guy looked like he was steaming now.

"Closest one?" Stoker chuckled and shook his head. "That would be Earth, boys."

* * *

"And that's the story, babe," Throttle said. He held his communicator at face level so he could pretend Carbine was in front of him, not just on a screen. "We gotta head to Earth and get those tetrohydrocarbons so Stoker can make a new Regenerator."

Carbine's image sighed and rubbed her temples. Around her, her office was in ruins. Some recruits were clearing rubble from her desk and surrounding machinery. "And that's the only way?"

"There are no more deposits left on Mars," Stoker piped up, leaning over Throttle's shoulder to talk to his niece. "Earth is the richest source of tetrohydrocarbons in this galaxy. And the closest to us. We could, in theory, get to earth, get the stuff and be back on Mars before the Cats even notice there's a ship missing."

"Like that will happen," Carbine muttered darkly, glaring at her uncle. "And don't think you're off the hook, Stoker! You can't just disappear for a year and think nobody will notice."

"I'm sorry, Cary," Stoker said, using the old nickname he had used when Carbine was a kid. "I'll remember to write a note next time."

Carbine's glare turned into a straight glower, making the older male cringe. "You better," she hissed. "And you," she said, turning back to Throttle, "Need to get your butt back to base and get a ship. Get to Earth, get the stuff as quick as possible and get back here. We'll keep the Cats off your back and keep Mars going."

"Thanks babe," Throttle said, smiling at his girl. "We'll get back as soon as we can."

"Carbine ma'am?" Modo said, his expression sad. "Is there any way you could get a call out to Copper? I need to let her know."

Carbine's expression softened and she nodded. "I'll patch her in to your arm communicator. Just give me a few." Modo smiled gratefully at her as Throttle's communicator flickered into darkness.

Modo sighed and ran his hand over his scalp, thinking over what he was going to say. A few minutes passed before he realized Stoker, Throttle and Vinnie had exited the cave, leaving him alone. He smiled to himself. "I'll have to remember to thank them later."

"Thank who, lover?"

"Hey, there's my darlin' lady!" Modo laughed, looking at his arm to see Copper's smiling face looking up at him. All his tension was momentarily forgotten as he traced his fingers over the image of her face. "How are ya?"

"Bored out of my fucking skull," Copper grinned. "How much longer, do you think?"

"Ah have no idea," Modo said. "Hopefully not too much longer."

"Yeah," Copper agreed, her smile turning mischievous. "I don't think I can handle much longer without you in my bed."

Modo blushed, grateful that the bros were not listening to this. "I know how ya feel."

"So not that I mind, but why the call? I thought we were keeping communications to a minimum so they couldn't be traced."

Modo sobered instantly. "Darlin', I'm sorry, but I've got some bad news." He took a deep breath that ended in a sigh. "We're in trouble. The Regenerator was destroyed in a fight and we have no way of making a new one here on Mars. We gotta go to Earth and get what we need to make a new one."

Copper stared at him, her brown eyes wide. "Are you fucking serious? You're going back there?"

"I have to, darlin'," he said. "But I'll be back as soon as I can."

Copper took a deep breath, obviously trying to calm down and not yell. "Damnation, Modo. It's bad enough you got me in this hidey hole where I can't look after you on this planet but now you're going to a completely different one?! Where you don't even have the rest of the Resistance to back you up?"

"I've got my bros and this time we got our own ship," Modo said. "Darlin', we'll be back in a month. Two at the most."

"You better be, or I'm coming after you," Copper growled. "Cats and distance be damned, I'm not letting you go a second time." Modo chuckled at that, feeling like a weight was lifted off his chest.

"Darlin', I'm so glad to hear ya say that. I'll be back as soon as I can." He searched the background behind her. "Silver around?"

"Yeah, she's right here," Copper said, reaching down to pick up Silver. The little female was holding her doll and smiled when she saw Modo.

"Mister Modo!" She squealed, making Copper wince as her hearing implant started to ring from the high-pitched noise. She waved at the screen frantically, almost making Copper drop her. "Mister Modo, hi! Look, Mama fixed my doll! Her arm fell off when I was playing with Racer and Nitro and they started laughing but I got them really good and they aren't laughing at me any more but we were playing today and they said they were sorry so I guess it's ok, right?" She paused for a breath and smiled at him, making Modo's heart melt. "When are you coming back?"

"Soon, li'l star. I'll be back as soon as the fight is over."

"Come back soon," Silver said. "Mama isn't smiling as much."

"I'll come back soon and make Mama smile," Modo smiled at his girls. "I promise." He gently touched the screen, stroking Copper's cheek. "I love ya."

"We love you, too," Copper said, scrubbing tears from her eyes. "Return home soon. Or I swear I'll come find you and drag your ass back here and I won't be gentle."

* * *

"On the road again," Vinnie hummed, leaning farther back in his chair and staring up on the ceiling. "Oh, I can't believe I'm on the road again…"

"Sing it, bro," Modo said, staring moodily out of the window of the spacecraft. "Ah sure as hell can't believe I'm on the road again."

"It won't be for as long this time, big guy," Throttle said, punching a few buttons to keep the ship on course. "We just need to find a few a few tetrohydrocarbon stashes so Stoker can fix the Regenerator."

"Hate to break it to ya mudpuppy, but searching for tetrohydrocarbons is a tricky business," Stoker said from his place behind an array of blinking machinery. "It's not like they carry them at any Earther superstore."

"So where do we start?" Modo asked, wanting to get this mission done as soon as possible so he could get back to Mars.

"Away from civilization is always a good place," Stoker replied. "But we'll get this done as soon as we can." He smiled sadly at Modo; it pained him to see the gentle giant hurting from missing his girls.

"But in the meantime, I think we should try and have a little fun while we're there," Vinnie said, gleefully shuffling through a stack of brochures. "First, we'll hit up Chi-town. Visit Quigley field, get a foot-long slathered in chili-"

"And maybe run into a certain red-headed mechanic?" Throttle said with a knowing waggle of his eyebrows. Vinnie's face went red and he tried to protest that he wasn't interested in the least in seeing Charley.

A loud beeping brought Stoker's attention back to the console in front of him. "Shit…" he growled, his metal tail lashing the air in agitation. "Catatonian Cat-a-cruisers, on our six!"

"Ahwoohoo!" Vinnie trumpeted, rubbing his hands together and glad the attention was off of him. "Time for soma action!"

"Helmets on and visors up, bros!" Throttle yelled, matching his words to actions and grabbing a blaster. "We got kitty pirates scratching on the door."

The bros and Stoker had all managed to get their helmets on when the hatch door began to melt, golden-red metal dripping to the floor like drops of water. Modo growled and held his arm ready, blaster out and ready to shoot at the first thing that came through the door. "As my old grey furred mama said, when company comes a callin', be suer to break out the welcome wagon." A foot soldier was the first unlucky one to get a face full of Modo's firepower, the other bros and Stoker backing him up for all they were worth. But then Stoker was rushed by a gang of the troopers and was wrestled to the floor, his weapon lost in the struggle.

"Drop your weapons," one of the other troopers hissed, "Or your general here is flambé."

"Man, I hate when this happens," Vinnie muttered, his weapons falling to the floor with a clang.

They were tied up and their weapons taken from them. Cataclysm came onto the bridge with a support team of at least twenty troopers, his hulking bulk filling the room and making it seem excruciatingly small. "Ah, General Stoker," Cataclysm said, bearing his yellow fangs as Stoker was brought before him. "How nice to see you again."

"Yech, too much tuna in the diet, Sylvester?" Stoker gagged, reeling back from the smell of rotting fish.

"See, I told ya they smelled bad," Vinnie muttered. Throttle and Modo hushed him with twin glares.

"Your impertinence means nothing," Cataclysm said coolly though his green-gold eyes were narrowed with rage. "Take him to my ship and throw him in the brig. As for the rest of the vermin…" He smiled again, a malicious gleam in his eye. "They are of no consequence. Kill them."

"At your command, sir," a trooper said. The Cats filed out of the ship, the last one activating the bomb that had been attached to the door of the bridge. "Bye bye, mousies," it purred. "Try not to make a mess when you die."

Throttle shook his head as the trooper disappeared. "Why do they always have to have the last corny word?"

"Dunno bro, but we better scoot if we're gonna save Stoker," Modo said.

"Let's blow this joint," Vinnie agreed, earning him a glare from Modo for the bad pun.

"To the bikes, bros!" Throttle said. "Let's rock and…shuffle our way to the cargo bay and hope we don't get blown up in the process."

"That doesn't have a nice ring to it," Vinnie said as they slowly made their way to the cargo area.

"But it works for the situation," Throttle replied. When they got to the door, he kicked the button to open it and watched the doors slide slowly open. "Vincent, weren't you going to fix this?" He growled, tail twitching in annoyance.

"Hey, it was fix the door or get to my aerobics class," Vinnie sniffed haughtily. "Health is our most important asset." Throttle sighed and whistled for the bikes. Well=places laser shots had the ropes off the bros and they jumped on to their respective bikes.

"Come on, let's get out of-" an explosion rocking the ship, interrupted him and sending the bros flying towards the hatch. "Never mind then. Let's blow this popsicle stand!"

* * *

On Earth, Charlene Davisdon revved her new orange bike and stared at the obstacle course she had laid out for herself. Clutching the throttle, she zoomed around a stack of barrels and up a ramp, landing safely on the other side. She swerved around a thick puddle of old oil and turned a sharp corner before heading up the ramp again, enjoying the feel of flight before her bike skidded to a halt back at the starting line.

"Not bad," she muttered, taking off her helmet to reveal auburn locks that had recently been trimmed into a pixie cut that showed off her high cheekbones and strong jaw. Her green eyes glanced over the bike, smiling as it purred under her touch. "Maybe I can get a few more RPMs out of this cherry," she said to no one in particular. Her thoughts were interrupted when what looked like a comet streaked through the sky, the orange ball of fire getting closer with every second. "Huh…Now do I make a wish or do I just GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" She revved up her bike again and had it squealing towards the garage when the comet landed in the middle of her obstacle course, obliterating it completely.

She stopped at the edge of the destruction, squinting at the smoldering wreckage of her course. "Ugh…" She said, getting off her bike and standing with her hands on her hips. "I haven't seen the likes of this since those macho mice left town." A sudden flare of heat make her wince and shield her face with her hand. "Damn, that's hot."

"Thanks. You're not looking pretty spiffy yourself, sweetheart." Charley's heart nearly stopped when she heard that voice. No way. There was no way that Vinnie was back. Smoke parted to reveal three tall figures to the Earth woman. Charley gasped before screaming their names. "Throttle, Modo!" She rushed towards them, flinging herself into strong arms. She didn't notice Vinnie's sad look downward as she went right past him.

Throttle and Modo laughed, squeezing Charley hard enough to crack her bones. She hugged them back just as tight, laughing the whole time. "Oh my god, you guys are back! I can't believe it!"

"Believe it, Charley girl," Throttle chuckled, affectionately nuzzling the top of her head.

"I missed you guys so much!"

"Yeah, right back at you, Charley ma'am," Modo said, gently pushing hair off her forehead so he could get a better look at her. "Yer lookin' good, Charley ma'am. Chi-town been good t' ya?"

"Not as fun after you guys left, but yeah, Chi-town is great!" The sound of a throat being cleared made Charley turn her attention back to Vinnie. The white mouse was looking sheepishly at her, scuffing his toe into the ground.

"Um, hiya doll," he squeaked, feeling like he was about to suffocate now that he saw her again. He drank her in, admiring the curve of her leg in her jeans and the short, messy hair that now framed her face and better showed off her features. Charley glared and stalked toward him with such determination that Throttle and Modo stepped back to watch the show.

"You don't write, you don't call, and now you show up again and what? All I get is a 'Hiya, doll?' " she seethed, stepping up so she was toe-to-toe with him. She glared, ignoring the way her heart did an odd little dance that always happened when she got close to him. "No excuses, no lame reason why I suddenly disappeared to you?"

"Well, I, um, I been busy, and, well…Ah, hell, I don't know," he groaned, hanging his head. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."

Charley's face softened and, slowly, so as not to spook him, wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. She inhaled the unique scent of him that she had missed so much and, before she could think, stood up on tiptoe to kiss him on the mouth.

Vinnie stood completely still for a moment, thinking that it wasn't possible this was happening. This had to be a dream. He would wake up in half a second, in his bed on Mars and Charley would be back to being thousands of miles away. But then he smelled her, smelled the combination of motor oil, flowers and that tea she liked to drink every morning. He could feel her, and the feeling wasn't fleeting like it had been for almost two years. This was the real thing. He sighed and wrapped his arms tight around her, his hands tangling in her hair as he kissed her back.

"You're real," Charley whispered when she broke the kiss. Tears glittered in her eyes and Vinnie's heart almost broke to see the drops on her cheeks. "You're actually here."

"Yeah, I'm here," he rumbled, holding her tighter. "I'm here, sweetheart."

"I missed you so much," she whispered against his neck.

Vinnie smiled and put a finger under her chin, tilting her head up to look at him. "I missed you too, pretty lady." And, just because he could, he bent down and kissed her again, slowly, savoring it now that he was positive he wasn't dreaming again.

Throttle and Modo stood off to the side, gaping at the two who now seemed oblivious to their presence. "Huh…didn't see that coming," Throttle muttered.

"Yeah…kids these days."

* * *

Hope you liked it. Please review =D


	15. Chapter 14

Whew, it's been awhile, hasn't it? What with GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE (happy dance) and losing my muse for awhile it's been hard to write. But here's hoping I can update more now that I have some free time =)

Thanks to everyone who has read so far. If you haven't reviewed, please do. Reviews make me a happy camper =)

**DISCLAIMER TIME!** I don't own the bros, sadfaces abound. Please don't sue me, I'm poor. And please don't use any of my characters (Copper, Silver, Alloy, Lani, etc) without permission.

* * *

Charley winced as she examined the wreckage that was left of the bros' bikes. "Man…I can see my dance card is going to be filled for awhile."

Strong arms wrapped around her from behind and she could feel Vinnie nuzzle the top of her head. "We'll help ya, babe. In your hands, the bikes will be good as new in no time." Charley grinned and gently disentangled herself from Vinnie's embrace.

"Getting a bit ahead of yourself, aren't ya?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him. "You and me, we still got some talking to do. Until then, no touchie. Comprende?"

"Aww, but sweetheart," Vinnie protested, "Don't you want these heavenly arms wrapped tight around you? We got some missed time to make up for."

"No touchie," Charlie repeated, going back to the bikes. "Or I'll hit you with a wrench."

Vinnie sighed happily. "Oh man, I missed you."

"I missed you too, Vincent," she whispered, refusing to look at him again lest she throw herself back into his arms. As wonderful as it was to see him again, the no-talking-for-two-years thing was still bothering her. It gnawed at her like a disease; all the anger and resentment she had felt for the past two years was threatening to bubble over any second. Especially if he just kept standing there looking sexy as hell and smelling just as good as she remembered, like musk and leather jackets…

Arms wrapped around her from behind again. Vinnie rest his chin on her shoulder, sighing softly at the smell of her. "I can't say I'm sorry enough, Charley. When I left, I didn't want to keep you from your life here. I wanted you to have a normal life again."

"That wasn't your decision, Vincent," she said, her voice brimming with hurt and concealed rage. "You knew how I felt about you and you left me. How was I supposed to have a normal life when my heart was broken?"

Vinnie felt his heart break a little and, for once, wished he had more brains and less looks. He didn't know how to express his apologies well enough. Then, inspiration struck. He turned her to face him, tilted her chin up, and touched his antennae to her forehead.

Charley wasn't sure what was happening at first. All she could discern were shapes, voices and colors spinning past her. Female voices laughed, male voices shouted and screams echoed far in the distance. A small child crying, being picked up and then running, running while rubble fell from the sky…A red-furred Martian female with sky-blue eyes, her hair tied back in a simple tail and smiling…then she saw her own face accompanied with a feeling of warmth, safety and…love. There was so much love associated with her face that she couldn't fully explain it. Vinnie's thoughts had been on her almost constantly: his mind showed she had never been far from his thoughts. Even when he was thinking of another female, he was comparing her to Charley and none of them ever measured up. Regret…so much regret for leaving, for never calling, just wanted her to live a normal life. He couldn't hide the truth from her this way, she thought, and was overwhelmed by a feeling of love and gratitude that he had let her in like this.

When he finally pulled away, Charley could feel tears streaking down her face. His eyes met hers and he smiled slightly before kissing her. She kissed him back and clung to him, fearing if she let go she would break apart and fly away from the feelings he had just shared with her. "You did miss me…" She whispered against his lips.

She felt him smile. "Oh, you believe me now?"

"Yep," she replied, smiling back at him. "You chauvinistic, macho pig. You really thought you were doing the right thing?"

"At the time, yeah," he muttered, rubbing his nose against hers. "I didn't want to trash your life any more than I already had, sweetheart."

"Silly boy," she said and placed a kiss on his nose. "Where's the fun in life without a little trashing?" Vinnie grinned and kissed her again, being more thorough this time.

"Ahem," coughed a voice from the door. Vinnie and Charley jumped apart, both of them blushing. Throttle stood at the door with a bemused smile on his face and one eyebrow raised. "How are the bikes coming, Charley girl? Modo's starting to get a bit antsy about Li'l Hoss."

"They'll be ready soon," Charley said, fighting back her blush. "Did you find the food ok?"

"Yeah, thanks for that Charley girl," Throttle said. "I missed those hot dogs more than I thought."

"Aw man, there's hot dogs and nobody told me?" Vinnie shouted, running for the door at top speed. Charley sighed and shook her head, hiding a small smile; one thing hadn't changed.

"So, now that we're alone…" Charley growled and threw a wrench at Throttle, who caught it easily and set it down on top of her toolbox. "Just kidding, Charley girl."

"I know, but it's the principle of the thing," Charley grumbled as she took up another wrench and glared down at Li'l Hoss. "You guys made one hell of an entrance today. Any reason you couldn't take a ship in?"

"Kind of got blown up," Throttle said, leaning against the doorframe and watching Charley work on the bikes. It was like watching a conductor: every move was graceful and had purpose, screwing on a loose bolt or fixing a broken fuel line.

"You let Vinnie drive again?"

"I resent that," Vinnie quipped, coming back in with a tray covered in hot dogs and two bottles of root beer. Modo followed him in, still nursing his own bottle. His red eye began to glisten as he saw the condition his darling bike was in.

"We had a visit from the new bad guys," Throttle said. "Catatonians. After Stoker's Regenerator so they can revive their own planet and make a few gills enslaving us while they're at it."

"They sound charming," Charley drawled, wrenching Li'l Hoss' side panel back into place. Modo winced at the noise, his ears flattening down against his skull. Charley frowned and reached for something between the foot peg and brake pedal, pulling out a length of black cord with a silver-painted charm attached to it. "What's this?"

"Oh thank the Goddess, I thought I lost that in the crash," Modo said, gently taking Silver's present from Charley and tying it around his neck. Obviously it wasn't safe enough on his wrist.

"What is that, Modo? I haven't seen it before," Charley said as she turned to Sweetheart to replace her broken wheel gyro.

"Present from my little girl," Modo rumbled. "Ah dunno what I would have done if it was lost."

"She make it for you? That's so…" Charley paused mid-sentence, her wrench falling to the ground. "I'm sorry, repeat that for me?"

"Ah don't know what I would have done if it was lost," Modo repeated solemnly, hiding his grin behind another sip of root beer. Vinnie and Throttle sniggered quietly as they ate their fifth and seventh hot dogs, respectively.

"No, the bit before that." Charley glared at Throttle and Vinnie; she hated being kept in the dark.

"What, about mah little girl?" Modo asked, still fighting off a smile. He had missed teasing Charley ma'am.

"Yes, that! Since when do you have kids, Modo?"

"Just the one," he replied, slipping his hand into his breastplate and coming out with a picture Copper had given him when she went into the caves. It was of her and Silver laughing, Copper holding Silver on her hip with both of them waving at the camera. It had been taken during one of their visits to his Mama's place. He handed the piece of paper to Charley, watching her eyes go wide as she looked at the little grey-furred female. Her eyes were just like Modo's but she looked more like the red-furred adult she was holding on to.

"Damn…you think you know a guy and then it turns out he's married."

"We ain't married," Modo mumbled, his cheeks turning red.

Charley blinked at him once and then threw her wrench at him, barely missing his head. "Modo Maverick, you got a girl pregnant and you haven't married her? Does your mama know about this?"

"Ah didn't know Copper was pregnant!" Modo grunted, ducking the wrench before glaring at Vinnie and Throttle, who had broken out into full-fledged laughter at his expense. "She didn't tell me. And mah mama does know, she loves Silver."

"Silver, huh?" Charley said, taking another look at the picture. "Fitting, with the grey fur."

"Her mama's name is Copper, her uncle in Alloy and her daddy was Barium. Family tradition to name the kids after metals."

"Cute," Charley said, handing him back the picture. "She's pretty."

"Most wonderful gal I've ever met, excepting you, Charley ma'am," he grinned at her, his red eye looking at her fondly. Charley smiled back and gave him a brief hug. Modo had always been her favorite bro to hug: he was very gentle and warm and there was so much of him to hug.

"Now get out of here, you three. I'll get more done if you're not bugging me."

"Sure thing, sweetheart," Vinnie said, kissing her cheek and leaving some hot dog crumbs on her skin. "We'll be waiting."

"Brush your teeth while you're waiting," Charley grumbled, wiping her cheek and leaving a streak of grease there. "And maybe clean the kitchen while you're at it."

"Sure thing, Charley girl," Throttle grinned, playfully ruffling her short hair as he passed by. "We'll get outta your hair."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Two hours, a blender explosion and a fight with the mop later, the bros stood outside the garage doors, waiting patiently for Charley to open the door so they could see their bikes. Well, patiently as biker mice could. Throttle was pacing, Vinnie was gnawing at his nails and Modo was toying with his new necklace, twisting it back and fourth and watching the silver paint change color from deep blue to lavender depending on how the light hit it. He wondered what Copper and Silver were up to right at that second, wondered if their home would be left standing after the war was over. They had had to leave most of their belongings there and Modo hoped it looked enough like just another rock that no one would look at it twice, much less bomb it.

The door rolled smoothly up, revealing a sweaty and grinning Charley with the three bikes. They looked just like new; Charley had even taken the time to give them a wash and wax so that they shone in the setting sunlight. "Oh yeah, who's bad?"

"You're bad, babe," Vinne grinned, grabbing her and kissing her before going over to Sweetheart. The red bike revved at him in greeting and did a short turn, obviously demanding that she be admired. Vinnie crouched next to the bike, crooning softly to her and looking her over. Throttle and Modo did the same thing, Modo nodding approval at the weapons upgrade Charley had given Li'l Hoss.

"They look great, Charley ma'am," Modo said.

"Yeah Charley girl, they look awesome," Throttle agreed, sliding onto Lady with a pleased grin. "Now let's go find some bad guys-"

"And kick their butts?" Vinnie asked, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"Of course," Modo rumbled, putting on his helmet. "And we gotta look for Stoker, too. See if he made it here ok."

"We'll get to that," Throttle said, putting on his own helmet. "But for now, let's rock…"

"And ride!" They shouted in unison, roaring off into Chicago proper. Charley watched them go for a second before jumping onto her own bike, pulling on her helmet and revving the engine in one smooth movement.

"Hey, you cheese brains! Wait for me!"

* * *

Yeah, not the longest chappie ever but it's more of a transition than anything. Please review! =D


	16. Chapter 15

Thanks to everyone who has read so far. If you haven't reviewed, please do. Reviews make me a happy camper =)

Whew, another chapter! Hope you all like it =D

**DISCLAIMER TIME!** I don't own the bros, sadfaces abound. Please don't sue me, I'm poor. And please don't use any of my characters (Copper, Silver, Alloy, Lani, etc) without permission.

* * *

Cataclysm stared broodingly at the deep-space communicator in front of him, his stump of a tail twitching with agitation. Glassgreen was once again late in reporting to him and one of the Catatonian commander's many pet peeves was being made to wait. On his home world, he was respected and received anything he desired whenever he wanted it simply because he was the largest and the strongest. On Catatonia, the people respected such power to the point of fear. Females would literally throw themselves at him just for the chance of bearing his kittens.

Nothing had changed. Cataclysm still got everything he wanted, including the Regenerator. Yes, it was taking longer than he had anticipated but he knew victory was close. Then he could wipe out those pesky Martian Mice, starting with their children. They would make delicious snacks for the population of his home world. Then the females… What joy he would experience twisting them to do his bidding, bending them to his desires before slitting their throats and feasting on their blood while his body shuddered with release. That was the sweetest joy he ever experienced: taking a life at the peak of his sexual pleasure. He would start with that black-haired general and make her mate, who had caused him so much annoyance over the past few months, watch.

The communicator buzzed to life, the screen showing the cream-furred face of his agent on Mars. "Mister C," she purred, fluttering her eyelashes in a way Cataclysm assumed was attractive to those pathetic Martians. "So sorry to have kept you waiting. I was detained by personal matters."

"Your continued incompetence annoys me, Miss Glassgreen," he growled. His tail twitched faster the angrier he got. "Tell me why I bother to keep you alive when you have failed to do as promised and get into the Resistance."

"I have given you the information promised, where their base is," Glassgreen pouted, tossing her wavy blonde hair over her shoulder. "I do not understand why you are angry. Their attacks against you on Mars have been less than successful since I've been feeding you information-"

"And yet they still are alive," Cataclysm growled, his eyes starting to glow a sickly green. "The leaders of the Resistance are still alive. We still do not have the Regenerator. So I ask again: why do I bother to keep you alive?"

Topaz-brown eyes widened and then looked away from the screen. "I… apologize, Mister C. I will try harder to-"

"You will do nothing unless I explicitly order you to do so," Cataclysm interrupted again. "Is that clear?"

Glassgreen's eyes flashed with anger and she met Cataclysm's gaze. "And my payment?"

"Will not be delivered until you finish doing what I tell you to do."

Glassgreen growled low in her throat, the sound surprisingly feral for such a weak female. "What do you want me to do?"

Cataclysm smiled. "I want you to find out where their females and children are hiding and I want you to infiltrate that rat hole. Then I want you to send me the coordinates of that location."

Glassgreen's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you going to do?"

"That is not your concern. Do as I say and you will get enough money to retire to whatever beach galaxy you choose."

Glassgreen smiled sweetly but her eyes were still cold. "I will get you what you want. And I shall get what I want, yes?"

"Of course," Cataclysm purred, showing all of his yellowing fangs as he shut off the communicator. He would save her for the very last…

* * *

Copper took a deep breath and stared herself down in the small mirror hanging from the wall of the shelter's bathroom facilities. "You can do this, Copper," she muttered, looking herself deep in the eye. "It's not a big deal. It's just your hair. It will grow back… Eventually." She looked down at the scissors sitting at the edge of the sink, the shiny metal blades glinting mockingly at her in the harsh light of the bathroom. This was harder than she had thought it was going to be…

Modo had been on earth for almost three months. He tried his best to call her at least every seven days but there was so much happening on the blue planet. First there was that fight with a fighter pilot… then Stoker turning into a rat, something about a shape-shifter trying to seduce Throttle and a trip to some place called "Down Under". All of that mixed with fights with Catatonian soldiers and trying to find tetrohydrocarbons was putting a strain on all three of the mice and their human friend Charley. Modo looked more and more haggard every time he called and his calls were coming less often. Silver was getting more worried as well. She was asking where Mister Modo was and when he would come back. She missed the big grey male she had come to associate with fun and safety. Copper herself was almost frantic with worry and was trying to hide that from Silver and Modo.

Alloy knew her fears but was also out fighting Catatonians with the rest of the Freedom Fighters. So far he had not been badly injured but for a few cuts and bruises. However, the missing half of his tail and the second and third fingers on his right hand made it harder for him to fight. It was harder for him to grip a blaster and his balance was off with part of his tail missing, but apparently he was being fitted for a mechanical end piece in between fights. Until then he was on medic and emergency mechanic duty and would often have to go into the heat of battle to make repairs to bros and bikes alike.

Copper had never been so terrified in her entire life. Her twin and her mate were both in terrible danger and there was nothing she could do to stop it. There was no way she could leave Silver to go fight and there was no way to get to Earth to help Modo. So there was only one more drastic thing she could do: Start praying.

Copper had never been a religious female. She had more earthly things to worry about. But she felt that now would be a good time to show the gods that she was serious and would do anything to help her males. Including giving them a sacrifice.

In the old days, bodily sacrifices were common. Sacrifices like that were called rai'kei, or obvious mark. Whenever a mouse asked something of the gods, they would mark themselves, usually with a cut or a brand. The more extreme the request, the more extreme the harm. There were some mice who would give up fingers or toes in sacrifice to the gods to ensure their prayers would be heard. In these modern days, such extreme penances were generally frowned upon and had been replaced by less harmful marks of the mouse's willingness to show faith in the gods. These days, it was usually a piercing or tattoo or the sacrifice of something precious to the mouse. In Copper's case, this meant her hair.

Her hair had always been a source of pride for Copper. It was thick and an unusual color, a deep burgundy with golden highlights. She had not cut her hair since the death of her father when she was twelve. Before then, she had worn it long to make her father happy, but at his death she had shorn it to just below her chin and laid her hair on his coffin as a sign of respect. Copper was now ready to cut her hair again as a sacrifice to the gods to bring her family home safe. If only she could pick up the scissors and just get it over with!

"It's not like I'm cutting it ALL off," Copper muttered to herself. "Just below the shoulder blades. Not a big deal. It will still be plenty long. It will grow back. This is for Modo and Alloy. Modo…" she sighed and brushed off a tear that had fallen down her cheek. With a determined shake of her shoulders, she tied her hair off just below her shoulder blades and, with a few snips, cut it off just above the tie. She stared at the hank of hair in her hand for a moment before neatly braiding it and tying off the end. "I offer this rai'kei to the gods for the safety of my brother and my mate," she whispered, stroking the braid of hair. Her head felt so light… "Please bring them home whole and safe."

* * *

Modo sighed as he looked up at the stars, gazing wistfully in the direction of Mars. He hadn't had much time to be alone and think on this second trip to Earth, which he figured was not a bad thing. If he had more time to think, that meant more time to wonder what Copper and Silver were up too. Probably not much since they were stuck in the shelter. He missed them so much…

He decided something right then. As soon as he got back to Mars, he was marrying Copper. He had brought up marriage when they had moved in together but Copper had demurred, still not sure. She knew she loved him and wanted to be with him but marriage was a big step for her. He didn't push but he had hoped she would have made up her mind before he had to leave. He knew she was perfectly capable of providing for herself and their daughter but Modo wanted to be the provider now. He wanted to be a good husband to her and a good father to Silver.

A honk broke Modo from his thoughts. He looked over his shoulder at Throttle, who sat on Lady at the bottom of the hill. His bro waved at him. "Hey, Modo! It's time to move on!"

"Comin'," Modo hollered back. He looked up once more at Mars and blew a kiss in that direction. "Almost done, girls. I'll be home soon."

* * *

Alloy turned over with a grunt, reaching blindly for the communicator that had fallen off of his bed at some point during the night. The thing was flashing and buzzing loud enough to wake him from a deep sleep. He finally found the thing but it slipped through the space where his fingers used to be. cursing again, he grabbed the thing with his left hand and flipped open the screen. "'Lo?"

"Alloy! Alloy, please, I need your help!"

"Yana?" Alloy was instantly awake, sitting bolt upright in bed. "Yana, are you ok?"

"Alloy!" Yana sobbed, tears matting down the fur on her cheeks. "They- they found us! They've killed Father!"

"What? Yana, slow down, babe. What's happened?"

"Catatonians," Yana gasped. "They found where we were hiding. Father is dead, the staff is dead, they're all dead!" She was hysterical now, tears falling even faster than before and her voice rising to a high keen. "I've been hiding for hours, they're gone but everything is gone, everyone is dead, please, Alloy, please come get me!"

"I'm on my way," Alloy said, swinging off of the bed and pulling on his pants. "I'll be there in twenty. Stay put, babe."

"Oh, Alloy," Yana sobbed. "Thank you. I'm so sorry, I should have gone to the shelter when you asked me to!"

"It's ok babe. Now don't move, I'll come to you and take you to the shelter. You'll be safe there."

"Thank you, Alloy. I don't know what I would do without you."

Yana closed the communicator, brushing a hand over her cheeks. The tears had stopped the instant she disconnected, and now she looked with mild disgust at the still-smoking body of her father. "Oh ick, Daddy, you've gotten all over my favorite rug…But at least you were useful for once." Yana smiled with a crazy light in her eyes. "And now I'm going to get what I deserve… And have some fun with Modo while I'm at it."


	17. Interlude 2: Before the War

So every time I try to write, stuff like this comes out. So until I actually get a real chapter out, please enjoy this =)

All characters belong to me. The original idea belongs to the original brains they came out of.

* * *

Barium smiled as he watched his wife sleep, her body curled around the babies she had given birth to half an hour before. He had just seen the doctor out, thanking him profusely for the successful birth of his children. Twins, to his and Miri's surprise. All initial examinations had shown only one baby, a girl, but ten minutes after the squalling and naked girl was born her brother showed up, much to the doctor's chagrin. The curse of Miri's family (a female's first birth was twins 99 percent of the time) was fulfilled, and there had been no other problems.

Miri was exhausted and had fallen asleep as soon as she saw the babies were fine. Barium had quietly led the doctor out, thanked him for the thousandth time, and then went back to the room to take in this lovely scene before him. Miri was still the most beautiful female on the planet, even after almost twelve hours of labor. The only signs of her ordeal were the tear lines streaking the tan fur of her face and her lack of a pregnant belly. However, the two resting newborns cuddled up against her seemed so right and natural to him he didn't miss the baby belly. Though he had loved the way she looked pregnant, all glowing and beautiful.

One of the babies stirred, giving a plaintive murmur. Barium reached in and scooped his child up before it could wake up its mother and sibling. A quick check revealed he held the girl who calmed as soon as she was held cuddled against her father's body. The baby was furless, as all Mice were when they were first born, but now that she was dry he could see a red down on her body and some wisps of red on top of her head. "Looks like you'll have your mama's hair, little girl," he rumbled, rocking her gently. This pleased him; one of his favorite things about his mate was her long burgundy-and-gold hair that fell down her back to her hips. He had hoped his daughter would have the same feature.

Now curious about his son, Barium scooped him up with his other arm and took a look at him. Like his sister, he had red down on his skin but there was no hair on his head to give clues as to what color it would be. "Guess we'll find out when we find out," Barium murmured. The boy didn't even stir, just continued to sleep peacefully. His sister had opened her eyes at their father's voice and was now staring up at him with large brown orbs. "Looks like you got my eyes, though. Sorry about that, little girl." Their mother's eyes were the same deep burgundy as her hair. Maybe the boy would have those eyes.

"What do you want to call them?" Barium turned toward his wife, a wide smile breaking out across his red-furred face.

"Hey gorgeous. You did so good," he said, sitting carefully down on the bed next to Miri. He leaned forward to give her a soft kiss, jostling the boy baby enough that he started to cry.

"Give him to me," Miri said. "I think he's hungry." Barium handed her the infant and watched with awe as Miri moved aside her shirt and put their son to her breast, quieting him instantly.

"Do you want her, too?"

"I think she's ok," Miri replied. "She's been very quiet."

"Oh, she'll be my serious little girl," Barium said. "Just like me."

"Well then I hope for my sake this little guy has some artistic flair," Miri chuckled. "Elsewise I'll have no one to talk to."

Barium gave a rare chuckle and kissed his wife again. "Have I told you you're amazing?"

"About a million times during delivery but not once since," Miri grinned and leaned against her mate, nuzzling his collarbone. "So what do you want to name them?"

"We could name her after your mother and him after my father."

"I like naming him after your dad but I don't want my parents involved. They want nothing to do with us anymore, I don't see why we should honor them by naming our children after them."

Barium sighed and rocked their daughter again. "I forgive them, Miri. Why don't you?"

Miri shook her head, her long tresses shaking fervently. "After what Father did to you? Never."

Barium sighed again and put his free arm around his wife, gently nuzzling her antenna. "Don't get too upset. You'll curdle the milk or something."

Miri glared half-heartedly at him before turning her attention back to their son. "So we'll name him Alloy?"

"Yeah. Pop will be pleased, at least," Barium said before turning his attention back to their daughter. "What about her?"

Miri regarded them silently for a second and then smiled. "She looks like she'll have your fur."

"They both do," Barium grumbled. "Don't know about his hair, though. She'll have your hair, thank the Goddess."

"Nothing wrong with black," Miri teased. "I like how it looks on you."

Barium sighed dramatically. "You were saying?"

"I was just thinking that I always thought your fur looked like molten copper in the sun." The artist in her seemed to come alive when she thought of molten metal that could be formed into sculptures, jewelry or anything else she could form it into. "It's beautiful."

"They're beautiful, just like their mama," Barium said. "But I like how that sounds. Copper and Alloy."

"They'll be a pair to be reckoned with, I just know it," Miri chuckled as Alloy started to scream, wanting more where there was none. Copper seemed to glare at her brother for a moment before looking back up at her father and cooing, her arms waving to get his attention. Barium chuckled as well and placed a gentle kiss on his daughter's forehead.

"Copper and Alloy. May the Goddess bless and smile on you and give you love and freedom all your days."

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed this little look into the lives of Copper and Alloy's parents. Until next time, ride free =D


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